


The Restoration of a Broken Heart

by DragonDreads (cjbage)



Series: Best of Both Worlds - Fandom Crossovers [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hist, Mature Situations, Non-Canon Relationship, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexual Content, Space/Time Rip, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-04-11 11:09:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 218,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4433231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjbage/pseuds/DragonDreads
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard's heart has been broken since the fatal sword wound to her lover,  leaving her lost and feeling alone in the galaxy. Only the thought of destroying the human that caused her so much pain, then destroying the Reapers who brought so much more pain into the lives of those around her,  has kept her going. </p><p>When the apparition appears taking on the form of a child, giving her the so-called choices she could make,  its words ended her indecision.  The flash and heat from the explosion were tremendous. She was on her way to Kalahira's shores. It was her last thought as she succumbed to the pain.</p><p>When she woke up on a shore,  she was wet, cold, shivering and naked. When a green scaled hand reached for her she was ecstatic, she made it, she's reunited with her love.  That is until she realized that hand had five fingers and much larger scales.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mass Effect Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> **Standard Disclaimer:**
> 
> **Bioware** owns all of the Mass Effect Universe, including but not limited to the recognizable characters. Any original characters are my own. 
> 
> **Bethesda Softworks** owns all of The Elder Scrolls Universe, including but not limited to the recognizable characters and races. Any original characters are my own.
> 
> There is no monetary gain from this work. All I am doing is playing around with their universe.
> 
> **~**
> 
> Please do not use my original characters in a different story unless permission is asked for and received.  
> Do not post this story in a different archive, forum, or mailing list. I post only on Archive of Our Own. If you like it, please post a link to this page instead. Thank you.
> 
> **~**
> 
> If you are reading this as a guest why not join the site? It's free and will let you subscribe to all your favorite stories, so you never miss a chapter.
> 
> *~~~~*
> 
> This is an Alternate Universe crossover between The Mass Effect Universe and The Elder Scrolls world of Tamriel.
> 
> I will, in most cases, not be following lore closely. This is a crossover, and things happen. Don't like it, by all means, move on. One of those fanboys ( girls ) that can't stand AU's, authors putting their own spin on things, changing the way characters act, crossovers in general? Then this is most definitely not the story for you. 
> 
> Constructive Criticism is always appreciated as are comments and kudos. 
> 
> Updates will be sporadic, I'll post as I write each chapter. I will be writing this off the top of my head, I have nothing pre-written or plotted out. We'll see where I go with this as I write it.
> 
> I have a habit of getting sidetracked but will finish my stories; I just may meander off into my own little world once in a while when a new story bug bites me. Just like this did due to a post in one of my writing groups.
> 
> Now enough gabbing from me, hope you enjoy the story and please let me know what you think. If it stinks let me know, just be a bit gentle, this is my first cross over story.

* * *

 

 

Shepard was mentally and emotionally exhausted; she had just left the bedside of her dead lover. Thane had in the months they had been together, minus the six months that the Alliance had kept them apart,  in more ways than one, become everything to her. Friend,  mentor, spiritual advisor, and lover. Now he was gone. The pain in her chest from her shattered heart almost brought her to her knees. But with everyone depending on her,  the entire god damn galaxy, in fact, she couldn't give in to the overwhelming grief. Not yet,  anyway. When this war came to an end,  then it would be a different story.  
  
The months went by,  her closest friends noticed the difference in her.  Her pale skin growing paler, her eyes once vibrant with life and filled with love for the drell,  were now cold and lifeless. They did what they could to try and reach her, but it was no use.

Kolyat had told them all that she had entered a battle sleep; it would take nothing short of a God's intervention at this point to bring her back. Thane had died only a short time ago, but she had fallen into a battle sleep much deeper than he had been in when she appeared before him,  waking him,  bringing him to life again. The tears fell from Kolyat's eyes as he told them this, a chance at having a link to his father disappearing right in front of him and he could do nothing to stop it.

 

* * *

  
  
_Choose. The paths are open._  
  
Shepard looked at the three devices in front of her.  
  
Destruction, destroy all synthetic life. If the apparition were truthful ... that would include her. And it would only be a temporary solution.

  
Control, become the head of the Reapers. Her will would guide them. Become a Reaper ... the very thing she was fighting? How was that a choice?

  
Synthesize, merge every lifeform, both synthetic and organic into one new lifeform.  Without trillions of being's consent,  change them forever. Play God. Bring about a lasting peace. Mordin's voice whispered to her, _"culturally stagnant. Glands replaced by tech... the digestive system replaced by tech... soul replaced by tech... tools for the Reapers."_  
  
Shepard looked at the apparition. "You're full of shit. There is only one true choice. The one you are trying to entice me away from."  She limped toward the glowing red device, firing round after round into it. She didn't see the frowning face of the reaper child behind her,  the image breaking up as she fired more rounds into the device.  
  
"I am coming, Thane. I will be with you on Kalahira's shores soon,  my love."  
  
She fired one final shot, and her world exploded in a wave of pain,  heat, and destruction.


	2. The Tamriel Prelude

* * *

 

 Talen - Ai was standing on a rock overlooking the Nord town of Riften in Skyrim. He had been wandering this cold,  unwelcoming land for many months now. The nords didn't like anyone but other nords, let alone argonians and khajiits. Beastmen,  they were called... among other things. Rarely was one of his kind welcome in one of their towns. Usually being harassed until he just left of his own accord,  other times they drove him away.  
  
He made decent Septims selling the game he hunted; the few apothecaries paid him well for the herbs and other components he was able to find, especially those that come from below the water's surface. It was frigid, but he could stay underwater indefinitely harvesting the river and lake beds. He learned several other argonians were living in this town, but the town itself was a danger. It was home to the Thieves Guild,  and they wouldn't take kindly to anything going missing from one of their marks. He would have to be careful here.  
  
He made his way down to the town, the guards at the gate stopped him. The guards told him he needed to pay the tax to get into the town. He knew it was a shakedown but didn't want to cause problems, particularly with the giant of a nord standing at the stables entrance off to the side of the area,  so he turned and left. He would scout the area until nightfall.  
  
He gave a wide berth to the khajiit camp that was outside of the town gates, not wanting to deal with them. At least they let argonians inside the town, whereas khajiits were kept out unless it was a special circumstance.  
  
He quickly located the canals that ran right into the town and saw at least two other argonians, both females from what he could tell, wandering around the docks. Maybe the trip to town wouldn't be a waste after all. It had been a while since he had the pleasure of sharing a female's bed. Game animals were plentiful, and he spotted many deer and elk but kept his kills to a few rabbits and a fox. Talen quickly readied the meat and fur for trade in the town, storing them in his enchanted bag.  
  
That night he slipped into the canal swimming up to the underwater gates and easing himself up and over them once he was sure no guards were present to see him. He quietly made his way up the wooden staircase, spotting one of the females still walking around the area, he headed in her direction hoping she was not married or opposed to sharing her bed. As he got closer, he heard her talking to herself, over and over, muttering the phrases, "Could have taken it back. Could have left it." He stepped into the shadows, changing his mind about this female, something was not right with her mind.  
  
After she had passed him, he moved back toward the town and away from the docks. He finally found the local Inn, a place called The Bee and Barb, and walked in. He spotted two more argonians in the Inn; one seemed to run the place, the other to work there with her. Talen - Ai moved toward the female behind the counter, asking the rate for a room for the night if her bed wasn't available. She told him she already accepted a marriage proposal and was not available. The room was ten Septims for the night. Additional overnight guests would run him another five Septims each, as long as they used the same bed and didn't cause problems, they also weren't provided, he would have to find them on his own.  
  
He tapped his nails on the counter and asked to barter for part of the room payment,  presenting the fresh meat to her. He got the room for six Septims in the end with the trade. The male argonian showed him where his room was and after making sure to set up the traps on the door and windows settled in for the night.  
  
_"Hear us Talen - Ai; we have a request of you. Return to your home in Argonia. Travel to Soulrest, there wait for a landstrider female to appear on the beach. This female is unlike any to have come to the shores. This one is meant for you,  prepare for the rituals. Be warned, she will resist. She will not know the ways of your people or the land. She hails from far away,  another time and place. She suffers. Bring her to us."_  
  
Talen - Ai's eyes snapped open. The Hist had sent a call; he could do no other than to obey. Less than four hours after arriving into the town, he slipped out of his room and down to the canal. It passed in front of an apothecary shop before emptying into the large lake bed. He eased into the shop; the door left unlocked for those that needed the apothecary for late night emergencies. He heard some slight noise coming from behind the walled partition and quickly searched the shelves for potions he thought a landstrider would need. He took all of the cure disease potions as he had yet to master the spell, along with a few magic replenishing ones for himself. Then left the furs on the counter, quietly exited the store and entered the canal, moving south quickly through the frigid water.


	3. A new life begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone asks ( if anyone is even reading this story ) no, neither Shepard nor Talen - Ai are the Dragonborn

* * *

 

Shepard felt cold,  a bone-deep cold. She could hear the sound of water breaking near her. She was laying on what felt like sand and rocks. She laid with her eyes closed for several more seconds. She smelled the tang of salt on the air, heard the sound of birds and screeches of wildlife nearby. She felt the breeze blowing over her. She frowned a bit; it was blowing over her bare body. She was naked. Her eyes opened trying to focus, but everything was fuzzy. She heard movement behind her and tensed. Ready to defend herself from whatever or whoever thought to sneak up on her.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the green scaled hand reaching for her to turn her over and relaxed, a smile coming to her face. She'd done it; she made it to Kalahira's shores. Thane was here, and they would finally be reunited.  
  
Then she finally registered that it was a five fingered hand that was now on her bare shoulder, and the scales on that hand were larger and rougher than Thanes' ever were. As that hand started to turn her over she reached out, grabbed it and using her augmented strength rolled into the legs of the stranger, tugging him over her body to land in the sand on the other side of her. She quickly rolled out of the way of his body, only to be slapped in the head by a long, heavy tail causing her to almost lose consciousness again.  
  
"What the fuck?" She almost screamed as she scrambled back from what she now saw was a giant lizard.  Ok, Thane was sorta - kinda lizard-like, but this --whatever it was --was a giant human shaped lizard. With a tail.  
  
She heard the lizard man... woman... thing,  give out a small groan and start spitting. It must have got a mouthful of sand when it hit the beach. "That hurt landstrider. All I was going to do was to see if you were alive. Not bring you harm.  The Hist sent me a vision, told me I was to come to Soulrest,  wait and walk along this beach for one such as you to appear before me. How did you get here? Don't you know Black Marsh is dangerous to those not of argonian blood? Diseases that kill your kind, wildlife that would find your soft skin a tasty morsel. Not to mention the occasional bandits."  
  
Shepard watched as the lizard thing maneuvered to its knees, noticing that it was partially clothed and carried weapons. It grunted as it turned around sitting down in the sand,  that long thick tail curved to the side. Shepard got her first good look at the front of the beast. Elongated nasal area that reminded her of an old Earth dinosaur and a mouth full of sharp looking teeth that reminded her of a turian. The green scales were thicker, larger than a drell's, with what looked like heavier plates on the back of its hands and along its tail, like that of an Earth crocodile. It had a dense musculature, a defined chest and abs that drew her eye. So very similar to Thane. She looked back to its head. The green eyes with round dark pupils were staring back at her. There were horns that were curving around the side of its head, one of which seemed to have a metal ring around it. The sun, now rising above the water's edge, cast its light on the creature and glinted off that ring. There was no sign of ears of any kind.  
  
Shepard blinked, shook her head, then leaned forward not believing what she was seeing. _Were those feathers growing from its head? What the hell is this thing? Where the hell am I? Is this some sort of bad trip from Thane's venom? Had she forgotten to take one of Mordin's pills again?_ She reached over to her thigh and gave herself a hard pinch causing her to yelp in pain. No ... no, she didn't think this was some sort of trip, that thing was still sitting in front of her,  watching her.  
  
"What happened to your clothing, landstrider?"  
  
Shepard looked at the creature,  the noises coming from it sounded sort of like speech, but she couldn't understand anything. Her translator must have glitched again. She raised her arm in front of her and gave it a shake. Nothing happened. Frowning, she shook her arm again; her omni tool didn't activate. She slowly reached behind her ear, for the first time fearful of a different species being so close to her. Shepard tapped at her comm implant. Nothing happened. No static, no clicking or buzzing, and no voices.  
  
"Look, I don't know who or what you are. Or even where I am. But I can't understand a word you just said. If this is a hallucination, I'll just ride it out. But damn you are a strange looking creature."  
  
Shepard watched as the creature tipped its head to the side as it spoke. "I do not understand you; I am fluent in common speech. Is this better?"  
  
When the human in front of him didn't respond he let out a sigh of frustration. The Hist had not told him of this problem. He had to figure out a way to get her back to his hut,  it wasn't safe for someone not of the blood to be here, especially one not prepared for their land. He carefully stood and saw the female scramble back from him. He held his hands out in a sign of peace, then made a come here motion and pointed down to the beach toward where he was currently living. He walked a few feet before making the motions again and waited to see if the female would stand and follow him.  
  
Shepard looked around at the empty beach and saw the giant flora that seemed to be both menacing and compelling at the same time in the heavily forested area in front of her, the heat and humidity had started to raise as the sun did. She was alone, unarmed and bareass naked in a strange land. She was quickly coming to the realization that this was no Thane induced hallucination at all. Somehow during that blast she was thrown ... somewhere strange. Somewhere definitely not in Council space. Somewhere that giant lizard people walked around with bows and swords, wearing what looked like a combination of leather, metal, fur, and bones. That wasn't to mention they had hair that consisted of feathers... feathers for God's sake. She sighed and stood up on shaky legs, brushing the sand and rocks from her body as she took a few steps toward the lizard.  
  
Good, the female could at least walk and she was smart enough to figure out staying there would not be a good thing. Now Talen-Ai just hoped he could figure out how to do what the Hist had told him. He took a few more steps backward while watching to make sure the female continued to follow him,  then turned slowly making his way toward the small mud hut he had constructed while waiting for her to appear to him.  
  
He waited for her to catch up to him as he stood near what looked like an animal path leading deeper into the wooded area. He raised a finger to his mouth,  hoping she knew the sign for silence, then slowly and carefully reached for her hand. She jerked away from him, taking a step back. He waited to give the silence sign and pointing down the path. This time he held out a hand and waited, letting her make the decision.  
  
_What the hell did this lizard man want?_ He hadn't threatened her at least. He was carrying several weapons on him but not once reached for one. He was standing next to a path leading into that dark wooded area with his hand outstretched. _Did he want her to go with him... in there?_ Damn she wished she had her armor and weapons. She hated feeling weak,  most certainly didn't like the fact that she felt fear in this strange land. She was hesitant when she placed her hand in his roughened one. His fingers closed around hers, not squeezing but holding firm. She watched as he drew the sword from his hip with his other hand, dropping into a lower crouch and easing his way into the forest, Shepard was right behind him.  
  
He took several careful steps into the forest then stopped to listen. His hut was close to 300 feet inland, not too far in the swamp,  but far enough away from the beach to make him feel better hidden. He just hoped he could get this naked female to his house without her getting bit, stung or cut. He didn't realize the female would be without clothing or any means to defend herself; he would have stopped to get her at least a robe and some shoes.  
  
He hadn't stopped to harvest game or herbs on the way overland,  using what waterways he could to cut off time on his long journey. The only thing he did stop to gather was the materials for the Argonian wedding band he was to craft, he was still missing the flawless amethysts for the setting but he would find them somewhere, he had time yet. He hoped there was someone in Soulrest he could buy female clothing from that would fit this small female form. If necessary he could wrap her feet in furs until he could find her shoes.  
  
He made his way toward the hut, taking his foot and brushing the path clear of anything that could cut her if she stepped on it. This was taking longer than he had hoped, the heat and humidity would be raising higher, the human sweat would attract fleshflies soon and she had no protection against them should they swarm her. He stopped in the path and looked back, they had made it less than 50 feet and by the height of the sun he could just make out through the foliage of the trees, it had been almost an hour. This was not good. He placed his sword back in the scabbard on his hip and turned to the female.  
  
"I know you can not understand my words. But this pace is too slow, you are in danger here. I must hurry you to the hut, the sooner I can get you inside and checked over the better." He reached out cautiously toward the female who shifted onto the balls of her feet. Talen - Ai heard a slight noise behind him and whirled nocking an arrow into his bow in one fluid motion. As soon as he saw the large leg of the giant spider appear around the tree he adjusted the height and readied himself to let the arrow fly as soon as the spider's head appeared.  
  
The arrow thunked dead center into the spider's head at the precise moment the female had let out a blood-curdling scream. He whirled, grabbed the female around the waist, and threw her over his shoulder and took off running, jumping over the still twitching leg of the spider.  
  
"That was a fucking giant spider! What the hell is going on? Where the living hell am I?" Shepard screamed as she was bounced around by the lizard man. "I hate spiders, and that was the biggest, god damned spider I have ever seen!"  
  
Shepard was more concerned with more of those spiders popping out of the woods than where they were headed at the moment. Even more concerned about creepy crawlies that could be lurking nearby than the large, scaly hand plastered on her bare ass holding her as this lizard ran for all he was worth down the small path.  
  
After several minutes of full out running, he started to slow down; the female was heavier than what he had assumed she would be. He came to a halt and stood there listening. Once he was sure there was nothing nearby, he eased her down off his shoulder. He stood there panting, his chest aching from trying to catch his breath. He rubbed over the area his lungs were and let out a small groan.  
  
Shepard watched him, saw how his lungs pained him. Not this guy also,  what is it about reptiles and lung ailments? "Hey, you alright?" He looked at her, his eyes flicking over her body before taking as deep a breath as he could then pointed down the path again. They were about halfway there and needed to get moving again. This time when he held out his hand, she took it and moved closer to him.

 

* * *

  
  
When the small hut came into view he let out a sigh. He scanned the area then moved toward the small house, checking his traps and wires,  disarming the magical ward he had set up around the door before going inside. The ones on the windows he let alone, he had only so many ward scrolls available to him. The female hesitated outside the door, then when one of the lions in the swamp let out a roar she hurried inside. He shut the door dropping the beam into place. He quickly started a small fire going before gathering up the supplies he would need to clean and check her for any cuts she may have gotten on the way here.  
  
He sat on one of the low stools near the tiny table that held a small bowl filled with odd colored fruit, a plate with a chunk of bread, and two mugs. He motioned to the other stool, and she eased herself over and sat down. She jumped in startlement as he reached out and started to move his fingers in her hair. She slapped his hand away, and he looked at her, shook his head and went to lift her hair again.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" She slapped at his hands again, and he let out an exasperated hiss. He fetched the kettle of hot water,  carefully pouring a small amount into a bowl then added several herbs to it, lit a lantern and carried them both to the table.  He dipped a small cloth into the water and slid it across her face causing her to jerk again. At this rate, it would be better to knock her out with something then check her for injuries while making sure her skin was clean of any parasites from walking through the swamp.  
  
He sighed, "I must clean you, any parasites can cause infection or even death here for one of your kind." He kept his voice low and as gentle as he could, dipping the cloth again and continuing to wash her face and neck. Moving slowly and deliberately down her arm,  checking between her fingers. When he went to wash her breasts, he got slapped.  
  
"Whoa there buddy,  none of that shit." She grabbed the cloth from his hand and washed herself now that she understood what he was doing. "Did you just roll your eyes at me? You did, you rolled your eyes."  
  
Did the Hist really mean for this to be his wife? It wasn't unusual for interspecies marriages, but this outsider was beyond anything he had encountered. He let out a hiss and lifted her foot,  motioning for the cloth. He started cleaning her feet when she let out a hiss of her own. He quickly looked and saw what looked like a needle in her foot,  only this was moving, trying to burrow into her. He quickly drew his dagger and scraped in a downward motion while grasping the parasite between the nails of his one hand. Thankfully the female didn't move at the sight of the dagger, when the tip of the dagger dug into her foot he quickly pried the thing out and stood.  It was wiggling in his hand; he heard a gasp and a muffled scream as he tossed it into the fire.  
  
He dug through his pack and brought out one of the vials of Cure Disease he had, breaking the seal, he held it to her lips. "Drink, you must drink this potion." He looked toward the fire and pressed the vial harder to her lips. Some of his worries must have transmitted itself because she opened her mouth and he poured it between her lips. She choked and gagged from the horrid taste. He patted her back then went back to check her feet again. He cleaned them and applied a healing salve. Some of the clean bandages he had were wrapped around her feet once he was sure there were no more parasites or untreated wounds.  
  
Retrieving a fresh bowl of water he washed her legs,  she was no longer fighting him at least. He pulled her to stand, and he turned her around, and began to check her head once more. She held still, fully understanding now what he was attempting to do. She did flinch as he cleaned between her legs and buttocks. He tossed the dirty water out the door then replaced the bar before wrapping her in a blanket and pushing her back to sit on the stool.  
  
He cut bread and fruit for both of them,  placing it on wooden plates on the table then split the bottle of mead he had into the two mugs. He sat down and motioned for her to eat before picking up his own bread and taking a bite.

 

* * *

  
  
The bread wasn't anything like what she was used to. It had been made from something ground coarsely; there were some herbs mixed into it, though. Still, it was harder and drier than any she had ever eaten before. The fruit wasn't of the sweet variety,  but it contained plenty of moisture that helped with swallowing the bread. She reached for her mug and took a swallow of the drink and choked on the strong tasting alcohol. The lizard man thumped her on the back and started laughing.  
  
"Oh ha ha,  that's right laugh it up at the woman who hasn't a clue what the hell is going on. If we were on the Normandy, I bet I could drink you under the table. What the hell is that stuff anyway?" She picked up the bottle and tried to pick something familiar from the label, but it was all just jibberish to her.

 

* * *

  
  
After they ate and the area was cleaned up, Talen-Ai stood and started to remove his armor for cleaning. He needed to also clean and check his own body for any parasites, for him there was less a chance for anything to affect him. He saw the female's eyes grow larger in her face as he removed his pants, the small clothes he wore under them were quickly removed after he retrieved his own small bowl of water and began to wash. He heard a muffled choking sound from where she sat and glanced over to see her with a hand over her eyes. He shook his head going back to washing and inspecting his body. He removed a few of the burrowing parasites from where they had died trying to drill through his tough scales.  
  
He rummaged in his pack bringing out a pouch of dried herbs, mixed some into a small cup of water and drank it down. He didn't want to waste a Cure potion on himself when she needed them more,  but those herbs would do for his own use. He really should have made sure to stock up from that shop before leaving but he had nothing more of value on him that he could part with. He had to hope the apothecary in town had some on hand. That was another thing, he thought to himself, as he sat at the table and began cleaning his armor, he would have to go into the town and leave her here unprotected. How was he to communicate her need to stay inside away from the doors and windows, while he was gone?  
  
He looked up as she reached her hand out to pick up one of his bracers from the table. Watching her twisting it around her hands running her fingers over the scale plates on it and the hardened leather. She put it down and watched him as he cleaned and repaired the bits of his armor he could.  She nodded as if she understood what he was doing and approved. His weapons came next. He unstrung his bow, carefully coiling the bowstring placing it in a waxed envelope, then rubbed a cleaning and conditioning agent on the wood. She was watching him intently, watching how he cared for his weapons. He strung the bow using a different bowstring and set it to the side along with his quiver of remaining arrows.  
  
His sword came next, he saw her grimace, a look that reminded him of someone seeing something that they despised coming across her face. It piqued his curiosity but until they could communicate somehow it would have to remain a mystery. Next came his daggers. He cleaned one while she picked up the other,  weighed it in her hand and tested its balance. She seemed to know something about those at least. Maybe she wouldn't be so defenseless here when he was gone. Once he had everything cleaned, repaired, sharpened, and ready to go he put his armor and sword back on, picked up his bow and motioned for her to stay here. He put one of his daggers on the table in front of her.  
  
He started walking to the door when he heard her start talking and turned around. She stood there clutching both the dagger in one hand and her blanket in the other. He turned back and scratched his head.  
  
Pointing to himself, he raised the bow and mimed shooting, then pretended to eat something. They really needed to figure out a way for them to speak to each other,  using signs was fine for when they needed silence but was a pain in the tail when he needed to speak to her.

 

* * *

  
  
_Where the hell was he going? Was he leaving her here all alone?_ Normally she wouldn't care,  but she had no idea where she was. And there were spiders... huge,  giant spiders outside in those woods. All she had was a knife. Why the hell couldn't she have woke up with a nice undamaged set of N7 armor, a full array of weapons and enough heat sinks for an army by her side. She watched as he pantomimed shooting something with his bow,  then eating. So... he's going to get them food?  
  
She nodded, hoping like hell that was what he had meant. She sat back down watching the door as he shut it; leaving her alone in the small hut.  
  
Why the hell was she here in this primitive world instead of with Thane? True, she thought to herself, she had done some reckless things in her past. She put completing missions ahead of people's safety at times. Then there was the merc she threw out the window. And well she did stomp on her clone's fingers causing her to let go of the Normandy,  but she was valid in that,  the bitch had tried to steal her ship. Then she shot that Maya woman in the back,  but she was escaping custody, so she was valid there too. Hmm,  what could it have been to cause her to be sent to this hell instead on the sandy beaches of Kalahira's shores where she could bask in the sun and have Thane again?  
  
She spent the next hour going over all she had done in her past. Feeling pretty justified that she had done more good in her short life than bad. She just couldn't figure out why she had come here. She got up to put a couple of the small pieces of wood on the dwindling fire when the lizard man came back through the door carrying what looked like a brace of some kind of birds and rabbits. At least she wouldn't starve here as long as he was the one getting the food.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note to those that may be reading. I do not use a proofreader or beta for any of my writings. Please excuse any grammar or punctuation mistakes. All errors are mine alone.
> 
> For those that are reading. Thanks for taking the chance with this story.

* * *

 

When she had started to yawn he pointed at the bed, she hesitated before laying down. But almost as soon as her head hit the pile of furs she fell asleep. Talen - Ai watched her for a while before he banked the fire,  checked the bar and the wards. He sat back in the chair and kept watch. More because he had noticed the female flinching once in awhile or letting out a moan or hiss. When she let out a scream and sat bolt upright on the bed he went to her. She screamed again then put her hand out, he stopped and stood still. She covered her eyes, said something in her strange language then laid back down.  
  
Before dawn the following morning Talen - Ai woke,  let out a groan and rolled out of the bedroll he had placed in front of the door. The hut only had one bed and the female had landed a solid punch to his stomach that hurt rather badly when he tried to climb into the bed with her last night.  He checked the ward at the door then carefully opened it, scanning around the predawn for any movement. When it was clear he went out and relieved himself behind the hut. He smirked as he remembered the look on the woman's face when he handed her a bucket and pointed out to the back of the hut when she started shifting on her feet and chewing her lip. He shrugged,  finished up and headed back inside. It didn't matter what amenities they were lacking, they wouldn't be able to actually live here anyway. Argonia was a harsh land as it was, to a non-Argonian it was almost always lethal.  
  
He barred the door, then poured a small amount of their water into a pot placing it on the low fire after he stirred it back to life and added a small amount of the wood. He wanted to make sure she had water,  food and some wood before he left to go to the town. He also needed to figure out how to tell her he would leave but be back the following day.  
  
He opened his bag,  checked the contents,  added some dried rations and refilled his water skin. He picked up the water bucket and headed to the small spring he found a few yards away. He waited in crouched silence until the doe and its offspring was finished.  With them taking their time and not rushing off he knew no large predators were within sight or their hearing range, he quickly dipped the bucket into the flowing water and hurried back to the hut.  
  
He poured the water into the large pot to set it to boil so they could later drink it,  then carried in an armload of wood. The woman finally started to stir as he knelt down and stacked it against the wall.

 

* * *

  
  
Shepard grimaced again as she woke up needing to pee, she stomped to the bucket ... god, she couldn't believe she had to pee in a bucket... what God did she piss off so badly to end up in this hell? She was getting ready to yank the door open when she heard a hiss behind her and turned. He was pointing at his eyes then at the door. She sighed,  how could she have forgotten to look carefully before flinging the door open. It was bad enough she actually had to pull it to open it instead of having a VI open it for her,  but to yank it open and see what amounted to a giant rat standing on its back legs peering at her, then rushing her as an arrow whizzed by her head within a second had been almost too much. She almost embarrassed herself by peeing at the sight.  
  
She eased the door open and seeing it was clear hurried around to the back. Quickly finished then dumped the contents into a small hole that was there, she shoveled one scoop of the loose soil on top like he showed her then hurried back inside,  leaving the bucket to air out at the corner of the hut. "If the damn crew could see me now they would be laughing their asses off. Commander Shepard, Savior of the Galaxy, taking a leak in a bucket and screaming at giant spiders and rats. I have to get a hold of myself. Why do I think there won't be any gun shops in any of the towns?"  
  
She let out a sigh and poured a very small amount of the heated water into a bowl and washed up. She needed clothing. The male didn't seem to mind her running around naked but she was getting tired of feeling very exposed in nothing but a blanket. She noticed he seemed to be agitated and had placed a pack near the door along with his weapons. Were they going somewhere?  
  
It was just barely past dawn now, they ate and he pushed her to stay seated. He pointed to himself and the packs, then to her and the chair. He was going somewhere she was to sit here? Alone? _Hell no_.  
  
She tried to stand shaking her head. He patted her shoulder, pointed to his armor then to her. Her brows furrowed. _Did he mean she couldn't go because she had nothing to wear? Or did he mean he was going to go get her things to wear?_ He started speaking in his strange language again even though she couldn't understand him. "Don't worry I will be back. If I leave now I can make it to Soulrest before nightfall. Hopefully, they will have something for you. I'll be back as soon as I can tomorrow. Stay inside."  
  
He pointed to himself,  the door, then again to himself and the house.  He pointed to her and the house, shook his head when he pointed to her and the door.  
  
She scratched her head. _He was going somewhere but would be back? I was to stay inside._ She looked around, notice the huge pot of slowly boiling water, a large amount of wood and the game he had brought down had all been carefully arranged where she could get to it. He drew one of his daggers and placed it on her lap. He used a big stick to pull the boiling water away from the fire. Pointed again, water from the kettle to where the water he used to cook with and drink from. He moved to the door gathered up the stuff there,  looked back to her and pointed to the bar.  
  
Talen - Ai waited outside the door until he heard the bar drop down into place then headed for Soulrest as quickly as he could.  
  
When he finally made it to town the sun was almost down. He had stopped to gather some skins and herbs on the way,  hoping for barter. If not the skins could be used to make the woman some rudimentary covers. The first store he came too was a pawn shop,  they didn't have much and the argonian behind the counter looked seedy, when the owner tried to charge him more for the used plain robe than what he had paid for his set of bracers he told him no then walked out.  The next shop was getting ready to close when he walked in. The older male told him to leave but he explained the situation, somewhat, his woman needed clothing, hers had been stolen from the drying rack. It was the best he could come up with in short order. He never was very good at speaking with clothing shops,  armorers was a different story.  
  
The male's wife must have heard because she came around the corner,  tutting about how so many thieves were in the marshland now. She helped him pick out a set of small clothes and a basic dress with an outer corset. He needed to find shoes for her but didn't know her measurements so had to take the best guess, he held up the shoe to his hand trying to remember how big her feet were in comparison when he was washing her. He picked up a pair that seemed to be close,  adding them to the pile.  
  
"Would you happen to have leggings of any type or pants? My woman is a human. She needs a covering over her legs as well." The woman thought for a moment the fetched a pair of young boys breeches. "This is about the best we can do. You really shouldn't have brought a human to the marsh,  it is dangerous."  
  
"Trust me, I didn't bring her,  she just showed up here. Do you know when the boat is leaving for the Imperial City?" Talen - Ai asked as he paid for the clothing. Thanking the Hist that he had enough Septims from hunting and trading to do so. "There is one leaving in 5 days but it is only going up the coast to Leyawiin,  you should be able to get transport by water or carriage from there. If you're sure you are going to be there I can send word to the Captain, it's only a small trading vessel so there won't be much in the way of privacy." Talen - Ai thought about it,  he still had to bring the woman to the Hist before they left,  then another day of traveling back to the town. He told them to let the Captain know of two passengers,  he would pay a reasonable fee for transport to the Cyrodiil city. They gave him the information along with the location of a reasonably priced inn that was fairly safe then showed him out.  
  
He still had to go to the armory and weapons store,  the woman would need something of her own to defend herself with,  his dagger wouldn't be enough on the road. He walked toward the inn and stopped at one of the blacksmiths,  looked over what he had on offer and asked the price of several items. It was more than he had wanted to pay so left. He had to hope something could be found for her before they left the larger city.

 

* * *

  
  
Shepard sat and waited for the male to come back, he never showed up. She ate when she got hungry, paced when she got bored and when that wasn't enough, laid the blanket on the floor and started to do crunches, push ups,  squats,  the whole range of her workout that she could in the confined space. Finally, she washed away the sweat and grime from her body,  sat on her blanket and tried to meditate.  
  
Her body relaxed,  her mind floated for a while easing the tension.  Then it turned to thoughts of the war, of her crew and if they had survived whatever the Crucible had done when she destroyed the Reapers. Did she even destroy them? Could it have all been a lie? What if something worse was done with her choosing to destroy them? If that was even what happened. Maybe she was tricked. Maybe she did something so horrible with choosing to sacrifice synthetic life that she was sentenced to live in this hell forever apart from her love.  
  
Thane,  how she missed him. How she wished she had his memory. It had only been months,  yet she could barely remember the feel of his lips on hers, barely recall his unique scent or the lilt of his dual voices when he teased her. How it had sounded husky when they were making love and he was whispering in her ear. One thing she couldn't forget is the sound of his lungs as he drew his final breaths, tried to say his final prayer but couldn't. How Kolyat had to do so for him,  how they had both read a prayer for him as he drew his last breath.  
  
When night fell he had yet to return. She had to get her bucket from outside,  so she quickly wrapped the blanket around her, grabbed the overly large knife he had left with her and peered out the small window. She didn't see anything, she edged the bar back and cracked the door just enough to see the very front. She really wasn't looking forward to having one of those giant rats or spiders waiting on her. There was nothing so she ran, grabbed the bucket and hauled ass back inside. She didn't care if the place smelled of pee for a bit, she wasn't going to be hanging around outside in the dark without that guy here. She just wished she knew his name and that he would hurry his ass back up and return.

 

* * *

  
  
Talen - Ai spent the night tossing and turning,  his mind refusing to quiet enough to sleep, he wondered if the woman was alright if she had enough to eat and drink. If she understood to stay inside and not wander off. If one of the beasts had attacked the hut. He had checked the wards on the windows and placed traps around the outside. He didn't ward the door in case she had to relieve herself. Maybe he should have,  maybe she had stepped out to do so and was attacked. So many dangers here in the marsh,  the giant snakes that would sometimes wander close to habitats seeking more warmth and easy prey,  the werelions had been spotted again as were the crocodiles. Hopefully, they were far enough away from the inner swampland to not draw attention from the Naga. The sooner he got her to the closest Hist and out of Argonia the better. He drifted off finally and woke about two hours before sunrise. He set off at a fast clip toward the hut and his woman.

 

* * *

  
  
She had just taken the chance of going outside to dump the smelly bucket when she saw someone headed toward the hut. She hurried back inside and grabbed the knife,  cursing herself for leaving it behind. She had relied too much on the safety of the Normandy and her tech skills from her omni tool before.  She had to get it through her thick head this wasn't like home.  
  
She had dropped into a fighting crouch ready to defend when there was a knock and the male called out before attempting to open the door. He stopped just inside the door seeing her in a defensive position and waited for her to relax. Slowly she stood up, placing the dagger on the table and watched as he closed the door behind him.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?" Her voice rang out,  he tipped his head not understanding the words but nevertheless getting the emotion behind them,  she was pissed.  
  
He opened his pack and withdrew the wrapped bundle, holding it out to her. She adjusted her blanket then reached for the parcel. She let out a gasp as she opened to reveal the clothes. "Oh thank god, now my boobs and ass won't be hanging out for all the world to see." She picked up the two lengths of plain cloth and looked at them. "Uhh, how does this work?" He saw her perplexed look and cautiously moved closer. Of course, he had more experience removing the items from a woman instead of showing one how to wrap them but he did the best he could. She either didn't seem to notice or she pretended not to notice the way his hands lingered in certain areas as he wrapped the strips around her. She would get the hang of it, eventually. She quickly dressed in the rest of the items, letting out a sigh of relief when she was covered. The pants were still a bit too large for her frame but she didn't seem to mind in the least. The shoes were a close fit, they would need to get her a pair of good boots though,  they had a lot of walking to do and she would need proper footgear.  
  
He started to pack the herbs and wrapped the meat in paper after dinner,  placing them in the pack,  she scratched her head as she realized he was packing more into that bag than what should have fit. She was also wondering why he was packing up all their stuff. He went over all of the small hut, shifting everything they weren't taking with them into a corner. Filling water skins and putting them with the packed bag, the pelts and blanket would be rolled up in the morning he would make a sling for it from the leather strips so she could carry it easier.

 

* * *

  
  
Before dawn he woke her, handing her a small chunk of bread and dried venison to eat while he finished up the packing. After pulling the door shut and taking her hand he led her to a small path. They walked the rest of the morning,  the sun started to rise but its light was filtered through the thick overhang of branches from the massive trees. He stopped once to slather a smelly salve on any skin that was still exposed, then headed deeper into the woods, his sword drawn and at the ready.  
  
They approached a small clearing with a tree so massive that Shepard stopped and drew in a breath. It resembled one of the massive mangroves back on Earth. Thick roots spread everywhere,  a huge trunk that had lights strung around it,  the crown of the tree was enormous. She noticed the number of other lizard people around the tree. Many young children were there along with what must have been their parents. The base of the tree held nests. Many nests with quite a few eggs in them being guarded by other lizard people.  
  
"We have been awaiting your arrival Talen - Ai,  the Hist has told us of you bringing the woman here." A large male argonian approached him,  he recognized one of their priests. "Have you been told what will happen?"  
  
Talen - Ai shook his head, "no, I have not. I can not communicate with the woman except through rudimentary signals." The other male signaled for them to walk toward the Hist. "The Hist will explain to you now that you are here. All I have been told is that we are to make you both welcome,  that you will be here for the day and night."  
  
The priest approached Shepard who flinched but held her ground. He held out a gently glowing hand and muttered something. She felt a tingling in her body and a slight itching then it was as if a cooling breeze blew across her. She felt better than she had since she had woke up on the beach. Her mouth fell open in awe at what he had done. The male just tipped his head and she could have sworn saw him grin at her.  
  
"She was infected. She has been cleaned. After you leave here you must get her away from this swamp."  
  
A young woman approached Talen - Ai and held out a small pack. "This is for your woman. It holds survival basics, plus a small supply of healing herbs and potions." She smiled at the human and carefully approached, draping the pack over her shoulder and adjusting it after removing the blanket from her back.  
  
"Have you finished the wedding band?" The priest asked as he guided them both to the Hist tree.

"No, I have to find the stones yet. I was going to get flawless amethysts but they no longer feel right."  
  
"Hmm, your journey will be long,  you have time,  you will find what you need." The priest motioned to the rug placed in front of an altar next to the Hist Tree.  
  
_"We are glad you have finally brought her to us, Talen - Ai. We are here to help you both. As we said, she comes from a land far from this world. Sithis,  the original creator,  redirected her to here as she died for the second time in that incarnation. The original creator heard so many prayers directed to one of his other selves,  the one from her time,  her space. Ones from loved ones,  friends and strangers alike. Ones that echoed from so many races. Ones begging for her help,  ones thanking her for risking her own life for theirs. Ones that prayed for her to save all of their worlds,  all of their lives. All for one person. That one soul has given so much for one so young._

_What she wanted most had been taken from her. She could not go to where her love was. That world was not meant for one of her kind. Their love was strong,  their belief in each other was strong. But that afterlife was not meant for her. When her love had learned of this in the afterlife from one that went before,  his prayers shifted.  He wanted her to be happy,  to find a new love that she would be able to be with._

_His heart was still filled with love, still is and will forever be, filled with love for this woman by your side. We believe she can come to love you with the same intensity. You have been chosen because of your past deeds. You have yet to know love. She can be the one to show you if you can nurture it within her for you. Your woman is a fighter,  you must teach her skills to fight with the weapons from this world."_

  
The priest stood and carried two small crystal vials toward the Hist tree. A viscous, honey-colored fluid started to drip from a small opening and was captured within the vials.  He brought them back and knelt in front of them. A slight look of worry appeared in the priest's eyes as he waited.

 _"It has long been known that only those of argonian blood can consume the sap of the Hist without consequence. The human in front of you is different,  her mind had already been touched by those that could speak in images,  almost as close to pure thought as Jel is."_  
  
"And the hallucinations that have been reported? They turn the imbiber into a blood-crazed individual. Will this not happen?" Talen - Ai took the woman's hand and she glanced at him,  she had been looking around and noticed the lizard people seemed to be agitated, tense. And why were they sitting in front of the tree?  
  
_"This one is used to the hallucinations that came from ingesting her loves' natural venom. She will have no lasting effects."_  
  
The priest gave one vial to Talen - Ai who poured it into his mouth and closed his eyes. The priest then held out the other vial with only slightly shaking hands, motioning her to drink it. She slowly took it,  still looking around as she started to see most of the lizard people drop their heads as if in prayer. She swallowed the liquid,  its consistency thick on her tongue, coating it. Her body felt warm and her field of vision became blurry. She looked up at the tree that now seemed to be glowing,  its branches swaying in a nonexistent breeze,  the lights moving as if alive.  
  
_"Savior, hear us. We are the Hist, ancient beings,  revered by the argonians,  whom we gave sentience to at the beginning of time."_ Images started flooding her mind, she let them wash over her,  her past experience with such things taught her not to fight them. She saw images of this world,  learned of the argonians,  their trials, and tribulations. Their ancestors took into slavery,  the wars that have happened. The sundering of entire lands. " _You have been brought here to Tamriel, to live, to learn to love again."_  
  
A feeling of peace washed over her, a feeling of love and a scent. Thane. His image flashed in her mind, his laughter and those beautiful smiles that were reserved for her, the feeling of his hands and lips on her body. His words of love. The pain of knowing his death was imminent. The image of him fighting to protect others,  the image of the sword. Talen - Ai let out a gasp as he too had seen the images in her mind. This was the cause of her look,  the pain of her losing her mate to a sword thrust.  
  
The images of her revenge,  her fights, flooded the Hist and the argonians as well. The image of the reapers caused those that were connected to them to cry out in fear. Then her final moments, her final thoughts,  of everyone else. Of those that she cared for, those that she loved. Before they were all engulfed in a blaze of fiery heat.  
  
_"Your loves' prayers were answered. He asked for your happiness,  he asked for you to live and have someone to love you. You were brought here,  to this world. The one beside you,  this male,  Talen - Ai,  Walks - in - Silence,  is such a one to love you for life. Though he is not ..."_ there was a slight pause as the unknown word was drawn from her memory, _"drell. He is also a warrior, a protector. He will teach you how to fight using this worlds' weapons. You have been reborn. You are Shalaree, Wandered - the - Stars,  from this moment on."_  
  
_"We are the Hist,  and we are now forever connected with you, Shalaree. Should we have need of you we will contact you. You shall obey our call. As our final welcoming gift to this world,  we grant you knowledge. Both the Jel and Common tongues will be known by you when you awake."_

 

* * *

  
  
The woman collapsed as the vision and telepathy with the Hist ended. Talen - Ai looked at the priest who carefully checked the woman over, "she is alive, but in a deep sleep. Her mind needs to be completely shut off from outside stimulus so that the Hist can give to her the language. She can not be woken by outside means. You are both to stay here until the morning. We shall guard you and your woman."  
  
Talen - Ai sat beside the sleeping form of Shalaree, she was unlike anyone he had ever met. The others came with small gifts,  looking upon the female with wonder and some with fright. There was much speculation and whispering in the camp that night,  about the strange human and the visions that were shared with them. Several males came, one of them the clans blacksmith. As quickly and quietly as he could he measured her feet,  telling Talen - Ai his family's gift will be a set of sturdy walking boots.  When she awoke to bring her to the forge, she could pick out a weapon and see about getting armor there for a special price,  although he couldn't guarantee that he would have something.  
  
After someone had brought him the evening meal,  he settled down beside his woman. For the first time sleeping beside her, with her in his arms, as he was meant to.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me explain a bit about why I chose to have Sithis interfere with Shepard. "He" is associated with misanthropy so would have no love of humans. But, "he" is also associated with the Void, and with death. Shepard died once already in the cold void of space. She is in a way revered by many different species, not just humans, for what she has done for them. She for all intent and purpose dies again. 
> 
> Sithis is also worshiped in Tamriel by the Dark Brotherhood Assassins. As such my thought was even though Thane was not one of their world, he was an Assassin in his own time, and one of the best. 
> 
> And who's to say that each realms gods are different, not just the same ones with different names.
> 
> *~* All just my opinion of course *~*

* * *

 

Shepard woke to pain in her head and a severe thirst. The memory of arriving at the camp and what came next flooded her mind. She gave a light groan trying to sit up. A hand brushed her arm and a melodious voice came to her, "Shalaree, let me help you." She swiftly turned her head and looked at the male that was behind her. The one that the strange talking tree said was to love her. How can a tree command someone to love another, it took more than that.  
  
She had some pretty trippy hallucinations when she had forgotten to take her pills before her mouth had wandered over Thane.  His skin venom combined with the more potent form from his saliva and semen sent her into some pretty colorful and outrageous trips. But never one that contained anything like that tree from yesterday. It wasn't as intrusive as that Prothean Beacon had been,  nor did it seem fractured,  there was no real pain from the contact. She seemed fine, whole, as were her memories of their contact.  
  
His hand gave a soft glow as he whispered words,  a touch, so light to be almost nonexistent to her temples, eased the pain immediately. "The women have brought you food and wine. After you have done your morning ablutions, please come sit with me so we can speak together." He watched as she just sat there blinking and staring at him.  
  
"I can understand what you are saying." Her eyes were wide; her mouth had dropped open in an expression of both shock and wonder.  
  
He gave her a grin, "as I can understand you now, you are speaking Jel. The language of the Argonians." He watched her face as her brows and lips drew down into a frown.

"How can that be? When I think of the words, they are in my native language, when I say them as well."  
  
"They may be in your native language to you,  but to me, they are being spoken in my language. Once you are ready we shall try the Common speech to see if it is the same as well. There have also been many gifts delivered to us. We have a busy morning; we must be on the road to make it back to our hut by nightfall. In the morning we will need to head to town, I have booked our transport to a city. I will need to find work,  make some Septims,  our form of money, so I can buy us a proper home."  
  
The same young female that had given her the bag approached, "good morning, Shalaree, if you would come with me, I can show you where you may take care of your necessary business to prepare for the morning." Shepard got up and followed her, glancing back at the male as he stood up and stretched.  
  
When she had returned he had food laid out for her and was packing more into that mysterious bag of his. "Eat, as you do so I will show you the gifts that were brought. First is this set of walking boots, they were made by the blacksmith here." He sat them down beside her,  she ran a hand over the supple leather of them before setting them back down. "The rest was mainly foods, and drink. Several sets of clothing for you are in that pile over there if you want to change. We will need to pack them into your bag once you are done. The blacksmith requested you come to the forge,  he has a variety of weapons for you to look at. Possibly some armor for your protection as well. We will see what he has, as long as the price is reasonable, if you see something, we can get it." He closed up his bag and sat on the floor beside her.  
  
"I know this is all strange to you.  When I was told you come from another place, I had thought maybe another continent on Nirn, the name of our world. The truth was entirely different. The images I saw as the Hist was speaking with us, some of the things were incredible. Some were absolutely frightening in their scope. Those creatures you killed,  the ones destroying and enslaving your people,  they were like nothing any of us had ever seen. Their size from your visions of them,  they were larger than the biggest dragon that rumors say is flying the sky of the northern province of Skyrim. When I had been there many months ago,  I had not witnessed such a sight. In that, I count myself lucky."  
  
Shepard's mouth dropped open, "did you just say dragons? Those are creatures of myth and legends. How can they be real?"

He shrugged, "everywhere I went in Skyrim there was talk of such things. If it was mentioned a few times, I could put it down to just being rumors spread by some drunkard, but this was in many holds,  by many people." He watched as she chewed on some bread, a thoughtful look on her face.  He reached over and brushed her hair back behind her ear, and her gaze jumped to his. He just continued to look at her,  his hand gently stroking. "Come we must begin our journey."

  
They stood and she quickly changed her clothes, his hands moving over her body,  touching her while wrapping the small clothes around her, pulling the strips of the corset of her dress. He showed her the bag that seemed to not weigh much even with the clothes and shoes packed inside of it. He explained what was inside the small bag that he handed to her,  making sure it was settled across her body comfortably. Of course, it was just another excuse to place his hands on her,  this time she hadn't hauled off and slapped the hell out of him ... yet.

 

* * *

  
  
The blacksmith welcomed them to his forge, he had laid out an array of weapons for her to look at,  as well as various sets of armors. She had no idea how to use any of these with the exception of the knives. Talen - Ai picked up one of the daggers,  tested the weight and balance then handed it to her. "Here, how does this dagger fit your hand? You will need your own to keep with you always. The other weapons we can look at,  see what suits you as time goes, but the dagger is a necessity." She held it, the balance was superb,  but there was something not right in the feel.  
  
"Do you have something with a thinner blade, a smaller handle?" She looked around and found a piece of charcoal, the blacksmith handed her a scrap of linen. She sketched out a stiletto blade knife like she used back on Earth long ago. "The tang of the blade goes into the handle, it adds strength to the blade. Helps to keep it from snapping. The blade itself is extremely sharp, with a tapered edge." She showed him how long the blade should be. "Easy to conceal and lighter in weight,  less fatigue."  
  
The smith looked at the sketch,  his eyes moving over the design and going over the information she had given to him. These were good for stealth,  better for the women to conceal on their bodies,  probably much easier to train with. "I have nothing like this, nor have I seen a blade with this description before. This will take some time learning to make. May I keep this?" She shrugged and agreed. She looked back over the daggers, testing weight and balance, choosing one that had a slightly narrower handle to fit her smaller hand better. The smith gave her a scabbard and a price that had Talen  - Ai blinking. The scabbard would usually cost ten times what he was asking alone for both them.  
  
They looked at the other weapons while the smith went to his workbench,  making notes on a scrap of linen,  then carefully rolling it so the sketch wouldn't smudge. He slipped it into the pouch at his side before turning back toward the other two. Both males noticed how she kept away from the swords; her eyes averted from them. Her brows furrowed at the axes, she picked up a hammer and grimaced.  She carefully put it back down and moved on, next she picked up a mace, scratched her head then put it back down as well. They both heard her mutter something about a gun, they supposed that was what the weapons she was using in the visions they witnessed were called. Neither had seen anything like them before and knew they never would outside of the images that were shared from her past life.  
  
Her eyes settled on a bow. She knew from history that they were deadly in the right hands, they were ranged and took a steady hand. How much different than a sniper rifle would it be? It would take time to learn,  but she was used to ranged attacks,  not bashing things unless they got past her and Garrus' ranged attacks; which was an unusual occurrence. Especially when Thane was there backing them both up. She ran her hand over the curved wood of the bow. It didn't have the patina that Talen - Ai's did. This one had a look of newness,  not that of well cared for use.  
  
A set of green arms reached around her picking up the bow and holding it out in front of her. "Here,  put your hands where mine is."

She gave a slight jump at hearing his voice in her ear,  then did as he said. He adjusted her grip, showed her how to properly hold the bow. Her fingers on the string, warning her that the learning process will probably scar her fingertips,  if not leave scars elsewhere. "I'm not worried about scars, my body has been damaged and scarred up so much in the past, a few more scars won't matter. The Hist didn't show you the images from when I learned the extent of damage to my body the first time I had died and was brought back. Trust me, a few scars from this bowstring will be minor in comparison." She heard a hum in her ear.  
  
"How much for the bow and quiver, one or two extra strings?" Talen - Ai turned to the blacksmith,  waiting for a price.

"Bow and quiver of Iron arrows I can let you have for 40 Septims."

He looked back at his woman still holding the bow, "thirty Septims and I'll throw in five rabbit pelts and four bundles of dried Tundra cotton from Skyrim."  
  
"Hmm, add an additional hide, and I can let you have an extra string and kit to go with it. Keep the herbs, go see the potion maker, she may take them in trade for bandages or other needs." Talen-Ai nodded,  they shook hands and as he was removing the pelts from the blanket roll, the smith gathered up a quiver stuffing it with as many Iron Arrows as would fit. He handed it to Talen-Ai along with a small pouch that contained cleaning items and a small waxed packet with an extra bowstring in it.

  
Talen-Ai took the bow from her and opened her bag, Shepard blinked and rubbed her eyes as the bow, quiver and small pouch disappeared inside.

"How the hell did you do that?"

He looked at her and tipped his head, "do what? All I did was put your bow into your carry bag until I teach you to use it.  It's best not to carry it around until then."

"That's what I meant. How did you put that longbow into that small bag? No way is that possible."  
  
The smith started to laugh. "It seems we have things as wondrous to her as some of the things we saw in her vision were to us. The traveling bags are enchanted. They hold an amount that varies with each person's physical stamina. The more stamina you have the more the bags will adjust to hold. Try to stuff more in there than you can comfortably carry while still trying to move and fight normally,  you will find you can no longer do anything but slowly walk. You will learn how much you can carry as time goes."  
  
They thanked him for the gift of boots and fair deal on the weapons then Talen - Ai took her to see the potion master.  
  
The hut was filled with herbs hanging from the ceiling,  in bowls and containers on shelves. "Welcome Talen-Ai and Shalaree, what can this old woman do for you?"

Talen-Ai started to barter for bandages and healing potions for her as she wandered around the small hut. She picked up a small potion vial that looked like the one he had her drink from when they first arrived at the mud hut. "Excuse me, what is this?"

She held out of the vial and woman walked over to her, "this is a Cure Disease potion. It will cure any ailment that you may have. Rockjoint, droops, bone break fever, any infection in your body."  
  
Shepard looked at the older woman,  the first thought running through her head was a charlatan. Then she remembered the priest with his glowing hands,  even Talen - Ai had done something to her,  his hand glowing as well. "Are ... are you saying that the stuff in this tiny bottle would cure any ailment? Any disease?"  
  
"Yes, child. It cures that which you have but doesn't prevent you from becoming infected again if you should encounter the same issue. But another potion,  or cure spell if you aren't close to a town to see a priest, would handle it as well." Shepard started to shake and tried the best she could to place the bottle back on the shelf. "What is wrong, child?"  
  
"You don't know how lucky you are to have something like that. My mate,  my love from the previous life. His whole species is dying out because of a disease they haven't found a cure for,  hundreds of years and nothing to show for it. He was affected,  he was dying when I met him,  less than a year later he was gone from me. And that one tiny bottle could have made all the difference to us. Excuse me, I ... I will be waiting outside." She stumbled in her hurry to exit the tiny hut.  
  
"Oh dear, that poor woman. We all saw her lover die from a sword wound,  but I had no idea that they were losing entire populations from something so small. All it takes is the right combination of herbs, liquid or other materials. Yet ..." The old woman's voice trailed off as she held the tiny bottle in her hand,  her thumb running over the crystal.

Talen - Ai let out a sigh and dug through his pack bringing out the pouch of carefully wrapped empty vials. "We need potions, as many as we can get. I have herbs and empty vials to trade,  along with unneeded potions." When they had finished their transaction the pouch was filled with various healing,  curing,  stamina and magic regeneration potions. He packed it carefully back into the bag and left the small hut with a thank you for the generous kindness of the woman.  
  
He found her sitting on a stump near the Hist,  several of the older children gathered around her as she told them tales from her where she had come from. The hatchlings weren't connected to them during the vision, but she was telling what must have been funny stories as a few of the children were laughing. He approached and listened,  they could spare a few more minutes for them before they had to leave.  
  
" ... then Wrex let out a scream from where he was riding in the back of the vehicle that sounded like it was coming from a tiny baby that had its favorite toy taken from them. 'Ahhhh... the Mako isn't meant to fly Shepard, the wheels are supposed to be on the ground,'  my best friend Garrus yelled at me, as I drove right off the side of a mountain. I was in a hurry, and that was the fastest route,  it would have taken too long to go around, and those people were in trouble and needed help. We landed with a bounce and kept on going."  
  
"Did you make it before the mercenaries killed them?" a young male of about ten cycles asked.

"Sure did. We all jumped out and took care of those bad mercenaries, then we made sure the people had medical care before we had to leave again."

The children started to beg for another story before Talen - Ai interrupted them, "we are sorry,  young ones,  but we have a long journey ahead of us and must be leaving now."

 

* * *

  
  
When they finally arrived back at the hut that evening, the sun had just lowered past the horizon. Talen-Ai eased his way into the small clearing, something had set off one of the outer traps, and they needed to make sure no surprises were waiting for them. He had his sword drawn, and Shepard was armed with her dagger,  they moved around the tripped foot trap,  he pointed out another one of the traps had been set off closer to the door.  
  
When they got close enough they saw the door had been partially torn from the leather hinges that kept it on. Talen-Ai let out a low hiss as he raised his free hand. Shepard let out a tiny shriek as flames leaped to his fingertips, he glanced at her seeing her eyes wide and focused on his hand then looked back at the door,  he searched for any traps not of his making, before signaling for her to open the door.  
  
The inside was a mess; the bed tore apart, the neatly stacked items now strewn everywhere. The few cooking herbs that had been left hanging were now on the floor. Talen-Ai closed his fist extinguishing the flame before turning back toward the door and setting it better in the frame before dragging the bar over and dropping it into the holders.  
  
"Looks like a bandit that was looking for easy loot. We left nothing of any value so they moved on." He lit a small fire, more for light than heat or cooking. He swept the floor clean and spread out a blanket. "We need to leave before the sun has risen. We have a long walk to the town then it should be another two days by boat to the larger town in Cyrodiil."  He noticed she hadn't moved, "what is wrong?"  
  
"Wrong? Your hand was just on fire, and you act like it was nothing. And that was real fire; I felt the heat coming off of it, not the blue flare biotics that my friends had." Shepard grabbed his hand holding it in the light coming from the small fire, "you have no burns, and your scales still feel cool."  
  
"What are biotics? It's a flame spell,  most of us argonians know some magic, even if it is only a healing spell to help with minor cuts, scrapes that sort of thing. There are many other people that have power over the elements that rival nature itself, some have the ability to bring back life to those newly dead. There are some that practice magic so dark they make abominations, bringing the long-dead back,  desecration of all that is holy for their dark desires or worship to dark deities. There are those that use magic for both good and evil. I am sure it was like that in your world also."  
  
"To answer your question,  biotics was a way for certain people to use what is called dark energy. They can use it move objects,  to cause pain, to immobilize, it was used as a weapon or could be turned to help in a medical emergency. But they couldn't call forth fire in the hands. No one could do that. Well, maybe the Geth if they built one of their mobile platforms with a flamethrower attached to it instead of a hand or something. But it would not be like what you did,  they would need a container of fuel."  
  
Talen-Ai pondered what she had told him, a world with no real magic and no knowledge of basic potions. He opened the bag and took out food for their meal before they settled down to sleep. He kept his sword by his side and slept lightly that night.

 

* * *

  
  
They left in the predawn hours, he had handed her a hunk of bread and cheese to eat on the way, warning her that they would be walking for almost the entire day to get to town. They would have the rest of the day to look around before they needed to meet the boat at dawn. They were quiet as they walked through the swamp, Shepard was already coated with a repellent the potion maker sent with Talen - Ai. He stopped when he heard a noise ahead of them and they both dropped into a crouch.  
  
"I'm tellin' ya,  whoever lived in that hut had just left. 'n it looked like they was gonna be coming back there. This is the easiest way for 'em to get back and forth to town,  they'll be coming this way,  we just gotta keep an eye out." A gruff male voice came to them from the direction they were headed.

"This place is full of stuff that's trying to kill us, and you heard all them stories, the diseases that kill off anyone not one of those damn lizards. We can find a better place to lay low than this swamp." A younger male with a thick accent seemed to be disagreeing with the other male.  
  
"This place is good, no law is gonna come ta find us here. This place is where that book that Gunthur used to read from said those old lizards come to die at, not like they'll give us any trouble. We just hurry them along to their deaths. Take the money and stuff they was gonna give to one of their priests to bury them and put it to better use. They always gots potions on them, if not it's not like we ain't got the means to go into town and get 'em ourselves. That dumb old lizard from that small store didn't put up a fight when we broke in and robbed him. None of them others will either."  
  
Talen-Ai looked over at Shalaree when he heard a peculiar grinding noise coming from her. She was clutching her dagger and that sound seemed to be coming from her mouth. When she glanced at him he did a double take at her face, her eyes were glowing red, as if they were on fire from the inside. Talen - Ai eased his bow from his back after sheathing his sword. Nocking an arrow,  he glanced at her and she nodded, he moved forward cautiously, when he could see the two men off to the side of the path. He stood slowly so not draw their attention,  took aim at the male that seemed to be relieving himself against a rock and let the arrow fly. It landed with a solid thunk in the middle of the man's back,  sending him forward over the rock and not moving. The younger male jumped up and was trying to yank out his sword with the second arrow found its mark in his chest.  
  
Talen - Ai moved to the younger male,  stripping everything of use from his body, then the other male as Shepard looked on. _Were they stealing from the dead?_ "What are you doing?"  
  
"Removing anything that could be sold, looking for what they have taken from others in town. We will return what we can,  otherwise this will help fund our travels." He continued to rummage around in their packs, removing everything until they were empty then taking a mental inventory before putting it back into one of the enchanted bags. The armors and poorly made weapons from the bandits went into the other pack and then into his own,  they would most likely only get them a handful of Septims, but it was better than nothing.  
  
"How can you steal from the dead like that? True, they deserved to die after what we heard. They were criminals,  but are we any better for taking their crap?"  
  
"Shalaree,  you must learn something quickly. This isn't like from where you came from. Here, in most cases, it is kill to survive. We do not break the laws. I would generally see if the bandits had an available bounty on them from the magistrates or town leaders, I doubt these guys did from the slim amount and quality of the goods they had on them. Sometimes there are jobs available that pay well to hunt ones such as these,  or to hunt beasts that have been killing locals or their livestock. We do what we can to make a living,  it is harsh in this world. Harsher still for one such as myself and the khajiit have it even worse outside of their homeland. Those with the skills to fight do the things that others can't or won't. The law here is for towns. Outside of towns,  you are on your own. There are people that will kill you for the shoes on your feet if they thought it would bring them Septims or if they would be a better fit than their own." His green gaze met hers and waited for everything he had said to sink in. She looked around the makeshift campsite and gave a brief nod. Talen-Ai made sure the fire was out,  then started off in the direction of town. This had put them back about an hour and they needed to hurry so they would have time to check in with the guards to see about returning the goods that were stolen. Hopefully a small reward would be given to them.  
  
They didn't stop to eat lunch; he passed her some dried rabbit along with a waterskin, and they continued to walk. He stopped to pick some flowering plants and told her it was an herb that could be used in potions. It could be dried for their use or used as barter.  
  
She had a lot to learn about this new home of hers. The god's know she had seen enough damage from mercs and slavers. Worked with enough bounty hunters, assassins,  thieves and officers of the law to know things aren't always so cut and dry like most people would have liked to believe. She just usually would take things left lying around,  heatsinks, credits and the occasion weapon or upgrade. But not strip the armor from the bodies to sell.  
  
They made it to town and he led the way to the guard post in the town, explained the situation to the guard, and he directed them to the recently robbed store owner. The feeble argonian was glad to see the return of some of his merchandise. The food they had taken was gone,  but the small items he made for the burial rites were all returned. The Septims he told them to keep as a reward for bringing the items back and for stopping the bandits. They left him some of the spare food they had before they left. He hurried her past the pawn shop telling her that the owner was shady and he wouldn't deal with him. The only general store in town was still open and purchased the armor and other items for less than what Talen-Ai had hoped for but none the less was better than nothing.  
  
"What's wrong?" Shepard asked him after they had left the store.

"We didn't get as much for those items as I would have liked. They weren't worth all that much,  but still, I was hoping for a better price. At this rate, it is going to take me a while to buy us a home, Shalaree. I do not want to have us stay in beggar's quarters when we reach Leyawiin."  
  
"Where would you typically stay when you were not at home?" She asked as they walked through the town heading for the small inn he had stayed at before.

"Well,  most the time I made camp outside of town if I could find sheltered areas. Sometimes I would stay in town, at inns if they would let me and I could afford the luxury." He cleared his throat, "other times I would share a woman's bed for the night if they were interested."  
  
"Oh." Her face flamed. Of course she should have thought about that. Guess sex is pretty casual in this world too. With them having the ability to cure diseases so readily available they probably did indulge. Beats having to go to a doctor with all their damn questions and advice. Her lips quirked as the thought of Mordin and one of his stress relief talks popped into her head causing her to wonder what he would have to say about this whole situation.  
  
"Well, nothing is stopping you from finding a warm bed for the night. I can make due in the beggar's area. Not like I have anything they would want,  and I'm not as helpless as you may think." They had just turned down the alley heading toward the inn when Talen - Ai stopped and stared at her.  
  
"What kind of male do you think I am?" His voice was rough, his hands fisting at his side. "I am not some man that would leave his woman to try and protect herself while I dishonor her with another. I do not know what the others from your old home are like,  but that is not something an honorable argonian would do." He took a few steps toward her and looked down into her eyes. "Or is it that you would want to be the one to find a warm bed,  away from the coolness of me? Your previous lover was also like me was he not? Not a warm body,  but a scaled one,  cool to your touch. Saying you would stay in the beggar's dirty sewer areas but instead finding a man,  a human man, to curl up to and share your body's heat with?"  
  
She slapped him. Hard.  
  
"Thane was the love of my life,  I cared not if he was a human or non-human. I don't know you. You may have taken me in when I woke up alone on that damn shore, but it means nothing. No tree is going to dictate to me who I choose for a mate. And if I say I would make do in beggar's quarters than that is what I would do. I wouldn't lie about it to anyone." She turned from him,  started to walk back the way they had come. If she could find that guard maybe he could direct her somewhere with someone kind enough to put her up for the night. Maybe help her find her way somewhere to get a job.  
  
She felt a grip on her arm and whirled to elbow the attacker only to have her arm caught in a vice like grip. "You are my woman,  make no mistake about it. I may not have taken your body yet and made you mine in that way, but we are matched and we will eventually marry. The Hist has spoken and we will not go against them.  They are our guides,  the ones that gives to us our souls and welcomes them back when we pass. They have taken you as one of the people. You are the only non-argonian I have ever heard of the Hist doing this for." His tone gentled as did the grip he had on her arm. "This is new to both of us,  and I offer my apologies to you for what I said. But there will be no other warm beds for either of us,  only the one that we will share together. It is not safe for you here, not in the swamp and not in this town,  not alone." He let go of her arm and waited for her to say something. When she didn't he let out a huff.  
  
"Come on; the inn is back this way. It is safe there, the beds were clean, and there were locks on the doors. It may be the safest place we sleep for a while so might as well make the best of it."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone reading this story, I do appreciate any comments, kudo's and subscriptions.  
> *~*
> 
> Job Board: doesn't exist in game. I stuck it in there as a means where people could post help wanted adverts who normally couldn't afford either the Fighters Guild fees or didn't want to hire the Blackwood Company ( it is still functioning in this story ... the Hist tree that was being used hasn't been destroyed yet.)
> 
> I have wiggled the quests around. What would normally have been done by the Hero of Kvatch are open to Shepard and Talen - Ai. I also will add others that aren't in the game.
> 
> Verbal communication between the characters from the Elder Scrolls games and our two protagonists is made up, for the most part.
> 
> I also add shops in the towns they visit. I'm sure there are more than just the few that are part of the quests and storylines.
> 
> I have also smashed the games together ... Oblivion and Skyrim events are pretty much both available in this tale. Not several hundred years apart.

* * *

 

 

Shepard stood in the alleyway almost a full minute before agreeing to go to the inn. She knew she had no choice at this point. She was in a strange land,  she needed him, until she learned more about this world. She still didn't think a damn tree had the right to tell them they were to marry. She didn't know him or love him,  why the hell would she marry him.  
  
Talen - Ai was busy scanning the area as they walked, they may have been in town but that still didn't always mean safety. There were night creatures, bandits, the occasional restless spirit, especially in Soulrest.  He returned a light grip to Shalaree's arm,  more to keep her by his side while they walked than anything else. He let out a slight huff of breath when they made it to the inn and inside.  
  
There wasn't a large crowd, but the inn wasn't overly large to begin with so it seemed more crowded than what it was. He led her to the counter and paid for a room for the night. They took seats at the only empty spots at the bar, after one of the older argonians moved down so they could sit together. "Keep an eye on your pack, Shalaree. We are being sized up as potential marks for theft." He whispered into her ear as he leaned over as if to nuzzle her in affection.  
  
He had noticed the inordinate amount of attention they had received when they walked in. After dismissing it was because of Shalaree not being an argonian and seeing the way the red argonian youth's eyes flickered over their packs and armor,  or lack thereof in her case,  they were being marked as possible targets. He felt her hand stroke along his horn and saw a slight nod. She heard him and would be ready.  
  
She had just picked up her tankard when she felt it, the slight wiggle of her pack. She whirled,  her one hand going out as fast as lightning grabbing the hand that had just reached into her small pack.  The other struck out, still holding the metal tankard,  slamming it into the face of the youth she caught trying to pickpocket her. She twisted his wrist, grabbed him by the back of his neck,  thanking the Gods they had at least left her cybernetics work in this new world, and brought her knee into his stomach with all her augmented strength. The youth let out a winded grunt and landed hard on the floor when she sent a hard as steel elbow into his back after twisting his arm behind him. She slammed a booted foot down on his tail with a loud crunch that had even the older argonians groaning out in sympathetic pain to the scream the kid let out.  
  
Talen - Ai stared at her for all of a minute then picked his tankard back up and took a drink. The others sat back down and went back to their business as the inn's cook came out of the kitchen wielding a meat cleaver. He paused as he saw the puny human woman standing over a whimpering argonian that was bigger than she was, while she was yelling at him for trying to swipe her shit and to go get a real job. He scratched his belly wondering why she was carrying around her excrement, and why the kid tried to steal it, and just shook his head. He sent one of his sons out to get the guard while he stood over the kid. His gaze moving from the human to the boy and back again,  spotting the now dented and useless tankard laying on the floor next to the boy.  
  
_She took this kid down with a mug?_  
  
Talen - Ai shut and locked their room door after they had told the guard what happened and had used the facilities. He placed their packs next to the bed and turned to her, "it seems I owe you more than one apology. I was under the impression you were defenseless and without one of the weapons that was from your original home, would be weak and need protection. I misjudged you and your strength."  
  
She looked at him and shrugged, "I wouldn't have even thought of someone trying to steal from me like that if you wouldn't have said something. From where I come from we don't carry around money like you do,  it is stored elsewhere and we use a tool to transfer it to pay for things. Unless you are a good thief,  a really good thief,  you wouldn't just be able to take it."  
  
She turned her back to him when he started to strip out of his armor. He poured a small basin of water and dug around in a pack bringing out a small pouch. "The water isn't hot,  but I picked this up for you from the potion master. I was going to wait until we got to Leyawiin before giving it to you,  but ...",  he pushed the small pouch at her. "Think of this as a peace offering,  of a sincere apology."  
  
Her brow furrowed as she opened the pouch and dumped a small waxy bar into her hand. _Soap? Real soap?_ She held it to her nose and inhaled a sweet floral fragrance. "The flowers are native to the northern part of Argonia,  near the border with Morrowind." She smiled at him and turned to start taking off her clothes to wash.  
  
"Wish there was a tub to take a bath in." She muttered as she stripped down to her small clothes, grabbing the small piece of cloth he held out to her. He went and sat on the bed to wait until she was done.  
  
_A tub? How was he going to afford a home for her? The things she must have been used to ... a wash tub big enough to bath in?_ He supposed the wealthy homeowners had something like that. But at the rate he could earn Septims for a home, he wasn't sure he could get her the things she wanted. He sat and stared at his hands, he made a living with bartering items or hunting bounties. But they were small ones,  the larger ones were always given to those in the Guilds. How was he going to make the money to live in Cyrodiil? She would be more comfortable there, and it was almost all Imperials, humans, except for the town they were heading to. A mix of human,elf, khajiit and argonian lived there. But the few times he had passed through,  work had been scarce,  even more these past few times now that not only the Fighter's Guild was there taking the large bounties but the Blackwood Company was there too. They would take any and all jobs that the Fighter's Guild wouldn't. They paid well,  but their reputation wasn't good. He really didn't want to get into that sort of mercenary work if he could help it.  
  
"What's wrong?" Her voice came to him,  bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Hmm? Nothing is wrong."  
  
She raised her eyebrow as she used a piece of toweling that was laying on the chair to dry off. "Something is wrong,  you were sitting there for quite a while just staring at your hands." She moved to the pack to bring out clean under things as he moved to dump the water out of the window and refill it.  
  
"I was just thinking about the jobs there might be in the town we are heading to." He dropped a small pinch of woodsy smelling herbs into the bowl before stripping off his small clothes, she let out a squeak still not used to him doing that in front of her. "Depending on what is available we may not be able to stay in that town for long. We may need to move around until we find something that has decent work and a place we can live. We also need Septims to get you some armor,  replace your arrows if they break during your practice, food and other things. There are two organizations there that take most of the jobs that I can do. The one that we wouldn't have to travel halfway across Cyrodiil just to be allowed to work for them, doesn't have a good reputation.  It's rumored they use drugs to enhance their abilities. They also take less than honest jobs and it doesn't matter how it gets done or if others are harmed while doing it. I would rather not work there."  
  
"If we can't find work there where would we go? I'm not used to having to scrounge for work.  I was military then worked for the Citadel Council as a Spectre,  I guess you can call it something like the law,  only the criminals I went after were not your average ones and I was only accountable to my own morals and to the Council." She folded up her clothes and put them into her bag pulling out a fresh set to wear in the morning before climbing into the bed.

"I'm not sure. Let's just see what the situation is there first. I have some Septims saved, we will need to watch what we spend it on, maybe have to stay outside of town if we can find a sheltered, easily defended place that isn't already taken by bandits." He let out a soft sigh, pitched the dirty water out the window,  hearing a passerby let out a screech of shock when it soaked them. He quickly ducked back from the window and closed the shutter before the person could see which window the water had come from. Shepard was holding a hand over her mouth laughing.

 

* * *

  
Talen - Ai woke before sunrise and carefully eased his way from the bed. It had taken an hour of waiting for her to fall asleep to be able to slide into it from where he was laying on the blanket on the floor. He had held his breath when she had rolled over and moved closer to him. He tried not to flinch when she had sighed and muttered something about Thane.  
  
He dressed, took out some of their packed food and called her name."Shalaree,  you have to wake up. Come on,  we will just have enough time to get dressed and get down to the docks." She grumbled something about five more minutes. "Get your ass out of bed. We got to get going or we won't even have time to take a piss before we have to get on a boat." He heard her sigh and finally move. She tried to eat the bread and apple he handed to her while he tied her corset. "You need to learn to wake up, Shalaree. We should have been down at the docks by now."  
  
He swore she made a _pfffttt_ sound before she sat down and put her boots on. Within another two minutes, they were out the door. He waited for her outside the small shack that was used as a waste area. Hearing her grumbling the entire time about being disgusting,  he leaned against the building,  looked around and not seeing anyone peed up against the small rock in the back. "Hurry up, Shalaree. You're taking too long."  
  
"Shut the fuck up,  it's dirty in here and I am wearing one of my new dresses." As soon as she stepped outside he grabbed her hand and took off running toward the dock. They barely made it, swerving around workers and dodging other argonians heading out for a day of fishing or ones offloading cargo from ships that had just come in.  
  
The Captain took one look at the two people running pell-mell toward the boat and knew they were the ones he was waiting for. Talen - Ai bargained for their passage,  having to pay a bit more than he thought necessary because the Captain had been inconvenienced with having to wait for them past his usual departure time. He headed for the boat and Shepard stopped before the ship's Captain, "permission to come aboard, sir?"  
  
The Captain did a double take at the human. He had heard of the Imperial's military sea Captains doing something similar,  having other ship's crew or military personnel ask for permission before letting them on.  "Permission is granted,  welcome aboard The Marsh Runner."

Shepard nodded to him, "thank you, Captain."

 

* * *

  
  
Talen - Ai sat on the deck against a coil of rope,  out of the way of the crew,  watching as Shalaree talked to the Captain. He was explaining the rigging, how the sails were imbued with wind spells, helping them to move against the currents without the necessity of rowing. He had taken a liking to the human after she had made a leaping jump grabbing a hold of one of the ropes that had gotten away from one of the new crew members, pulling the rope and hoisting the sail on her own until others came to help her. They had been frozen in place for a brief time watching the puny human do the work it would normally take three of them to do. "I'm a lot stronger than I look," she said as she shrugged and went to sit beside Talen - Ai. He inspected her hands and put a bit of salve on her when he noticed the small rope burn on her palms.  
  
He had heard the Captain comment about how odd it was to find a human that could speak Jel,  normally they couldn't pronounce the words. She just shrugged at him. If he didn't know better he could have sworn the Captain was interested in Shalaree. He kept watching them after that. She didn't do more than smile and laugh, ask questions about his ship and navigation. But the Captain was indeed interested in her. He could now see it in the way he stood closer to her,  the way his tail would swing toward her once in awhile. At least they would reach dock at dawn and say goodbye to the Captain. He didn't like the way she spent so much time with that argonian.

 

* * *

  
  
They left right after the ship docked, Talen - Ai thanking the Captain briskly before grabbing Shalaree's hand and pulling her down the gangplank and onto the dock. "What the hell, Talen - Ai?"  
  
"We must hurry, we have a lot to do. We need to find somewhere to stay, I have to find a job. Get a full layout of the city for you, and maybe find a few leads for bounties." Talen - Ai slowed down when they approached the guarded entrance to the city's walls. His gaze flicked over them, Imperials of course. The Count and Countess may rule a city that is right between Argonia and Elsweyr but they had no love of either of the "beastfolk" races.  
  
"Shalaree, you are new here and haven't seen anything but argonians, inside you will find humans, such as yourself, you will also find the other races. The khajiit, the cat people of Elsweyr, there are also those of the Mer races. The dunmer, a dark elven race. The bosmer, those wood elves rarely leave their deep forests and the altmer, a golden-skinned race of elves. Some of the altmer feel they are superior to everyone,  including ones of their own race. Keep an eye on your pack in here and stay close to me." He waited until she nodded,  her forehead filled with tiny lines as she frowned.  
  
Her eyes widened and he heard her say, "holy shit, they really are cats," when she got her first look at a khajiit standing near a stall setting out his goods for sale. He quickly moved her down the street, his eyes shifting quickly around, wary of anyone that showed more interest in the couple than was warranted as newcomers. They arrived at the Three Sisters' Inn. Shepard let out a whistle and looked at Talen - Ai, "this place looks expensive." She felt his hand tighten on hers and he blinked.  
  
"This is the only real Inn in this town. The Five Claws Lodge proprietor doesn't usually rent out rooms. When she does it's like poking a bear with a stick,  she has this cleanliness thing. She is always cleaning, always complaining when someone leaves a bit of dirt or knocks over something." Talen - Ai looked nervously at the large, clean building. He was calculating the cost of food and shelter for them, trying to factor in the possible cost of armor for Shalaree. Maybe one or two pieces at a time, unless he could find female armor that could be altered to fit her during one of his bounty hunts or bandit camp raids. That's even if he can find anything available that would offer a reward.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand on his arm and looked down. "Maybe there is someplace outside of the town? Someplace less expensive and we could walk here to work." Talen - Ai looked back at the building then moved them to a small bench at the side of the street, where the passersby were hurrying to start their busy day.

"There are small settlements between here and the next larger town up. One or two small lodges, but it's a long walk and doing that early in the morning or late at night would not be very safe for you when I am gone. I don't even know if I can find enough stable work around here."  
  
"I will follow your lead here, Talen - Ai, you're the one that knows this place." Shepard looked around at the wide streets, the clean buildings and tree-filled parks that she could see from the bench.  
  
"Let's head to the tavern, see if we can pick up any rumors of jobs. If not I'll go check the job board. They are low paying jobs that usually would be too small to warrant the guild fees. If we can't find anything, maybe we can go to the general goods store and pick up a few items,  make camp outside the walls for the night. Then head north along the river to Bravil." He got up and walked toward the Five Claws Lodge hoping they could find work here. This was a fairly safe town, with high walls,  clean buildings, and streets. It would make a decent home, but only if they could find steady, well-paying work. Bravil was a garbage dump compared to this. And it stank ... badly.

 

* * *

  
  
When they walked into the tavern they heard yelling from three armed people and the owner of the place. She was wielding a broom, yelling about the mess and all the trouble the three were causing. "If it wasn't for that damn Blackwood Company taking all our contracts we wouldn't be in this dump you call a tavern." The three looked to be heavily armored and from the condition of it and their weapons, were no strangers to combat. He guessed they were members of the Fighter's Guild and were taking their aggravation out on the tavern.  
  
When the proprietress approached them,  still wielding the broom, Shepard backed up a step. The female argonian looked like she was ready to beat the hell out of the next person that tried to cause a mess or trouble in her establishment.  
  
"Welcome to the Five Claws Lodge. We have no rooms to let, cause a mess and I will not be held responsible for what I do to you. My name is Witseidutsei, how can I help you this fine day?" Her eyes passed over both of the newcomers as she said this.

"We have come to have a light drink and maybe see if you have heard of any rumors in town that could lead to gainful employment for my woman and me?"  
  
"Hmmf... well you look a sight better than those drunkards over there. Come sit at the bar, I'll serve you and I do know of one job. I don't know all of the details, you'll need to go see Margarte. She has been asking around for someone to fetch something but as far as I can tell no one has been willing to do it. The small alchemist shop is always looking for someone willing to gather herbs in Blackwood." She poured them tankards of a light,  honey-colored ale. Talen - Ai placed a few coins on the bar and she nodded then mumbled where they could find the woman. Shepard took a small drink of the brew and found she liked it, maybe because it was served in a mug cleaner than any she had seen outside of the ones from their mud hut.

Before they left he leaned forward, "you wouldn't happen to know of someplace with a decent but cheap room to let would you?"  
  
Witseidutsei gathered their used mugs and proceeded to scrub the bar top. She looked around before saying in a low voice, "not in town. But there was a guard that came through a while ago, he was looking for someone to do a small job. When no one here took it he mumbled about posting it on the board. From what I gathered,  he was looking for someone to clear out a one building settlement called Greyland right outside of town. If it's still available, go talk to him.  Clearing that out will get you a place to sleep for the night, maybe a few nights before the guards come." Talen - Ai nodded before sliding another coin across the bar top,  it quickly disappeared with a wipe of the bar towel.  
  
Once they were back outside they hurried to the Great Chapel of Zenithar, it was one of the places that the proprietress mentioned that Margarte was likely to be. They couldn't miss the Chapel, it was one of the largest buildings in the town, the other one being the castle where the Count and Countess ruled from. When they arrived they asked several of the people milling around inside and also one of the Priests if they had seen her. They told them to check at her home across the street or outside the walls of the city,  she may be gathering ingredients.  
  
Shepard started to mumble about having to walk to find the person, wishing that they had comm units or phones they could just call her up. Talen - Ai had no idea what she was talking about.  He hurried her across the street and knocked on the door. A nord woman answered the door, her short blonde hair was hanging about her head, Shepard noticed the human woman had no shoes on.  
  
"Yes,  what can I help you with? Are you here for training or something else?"  
  
"We were told you have been looking for someone to fetch something. Witseidutsei from the Five Claws Lodge sent us," Talen - Ai said to the woman who looked them up and down, she nodded at them and then stepped back letting them into her home. "Yes. But no one has yet to accept the job or return to me after accepting it. What I am after is not very common,  I need five portions of ectoplasm. I will supply you with special pouches if you accept. Once you have all five filled bring them back to me."  
  
Talen - Ai twitched. Shepard glanced up at him. _What the hell is ectoplasm?_   "Five? That is going to be difficult, to say the least." Shepard could have sworn he muttered "or expensive" right after that.

The nord woman let out a laugh, "Aye,  now you can see why no one has taken or completed the job. I will pay you well for them, I will also teach you a few things about dealing with other merchants so you don't get a raw deal,  maybe even better prices."

Talen - Ai rubbed the back of his head then glanced at Shalaree. The Septims he could bring in from the job and anything else he found that he could sell would be worth it. He would need to go to the Mage's Guild to see what they had on offer in the way of enchanted weapons. Or get lucky at the Blacksmith and find silver ones. "I will take the job if you agree to give me some additional time. I need to outfit properly."  
  
Margarte shrugged, "take as much time as you need. I'm in no hurry and not going anywhere. Now please excuse me, it is time for my daily worship at the Chapel." She handed him five small pouches and showed them to the door.  
  
He tucked the pouches into his pack and led Shalaree over to one of the large trees. "Listen to me, Shalaree. That job is a dangerous one. You are not outfitted for it and it takes special care and weapons to be able to hunt for ectoplasm. I know you are a capable warrior, but before we take that on we need to do some other work,  get you geared up. Not to mention I need a better weapon for this one, maybe learn some more spells."  
  
"I don't understand, Talen - Ai. What the hell is ectoplasm and why do we need all this special stuff?" Shepard looked up at him, a frown on her face. She crossed her arms and dropped back into her thug pose, waiting for his answer.  
  
"Ectoplasm is an alchemical ingredient that is actually a residue from a ghost or wraith," he patiently explained to her.

Shepard blinked at him then let out a snort of laughter. "What the hell are you talking about Talen - Ai? I'm serious here. Stop joking around. Where do we find this ectoplasm crap?"  
  
"Shalaree, this is no joke. Ghosts or wraiths leave behind a residue called ectoplasm once they are sent back to their eternal rest. She wants us to either find and dispatch ghosts or possibly find some that have already been sold to another alchemist. That would be better but we would have to run all over the place to find an alchemist that may have some,  and it won't be cheap. The ghosts can only be hurt with magic or enchanted weapons. We can also use weapons made of silver or higher grade metals. None of which are cheap. That's why I asked for time to get properly outfitted. We can do other jobs and if we happen to find gear we can use or sell that will help. Plus we need to train you to use that bow."  
  
"Ghosts don't exist, Talen - Ai. They are made up to scare little kids." Shepard ground her teeth and growled the words out. She brushed aside the memory of Thane's spirit talking to her before she boarded the Normandy after the party she gave the crew. Thane was one of the most spiritual people she had ever met, he wasn't a ghost but his faith and spirit were strong enough to give her that one last bit of hope, that one last bit of comfort before facing her greatest challenge. He was no ghost.  
  
"Would you have denied the existence of spiders bigger than you are, or rats the size of dogs if you had not seen them with your own eyes. What exists in your old world and what exists here are very different. Here, ghosts exist, they are real." She had been shaking her head the entire time he had been talking. He let out a huff and grabbed her hand pulling her back toward the chapel. When they entered he headed toward the side where the Chapel's undercroft was. "Whatever you do, keep your weapon sheathed." He looked around and saw no one was paying attention to him. He squatted down and pulled Shalaree down with him. He pulled out a couple of small tools and proceeded to pick the lock. Pushing her through the door and pulling it closed behind him.  
  
He took several small hesitant steps toward the statue of Zenithar when he finally heard it. The small groans. He grabbed both of Shalaree's hands, pulled her toward a small alcove, turned her around, pulled her tight against the front of his body and waited. A minute later the air around them had dropped in temperature. Then they saw it, an amorphous form passed by them. He felt Shalaree stiffen and slapped a scaled hand over her mouth before she could let out the scream or stream of profanity he was sure had built up within her as he watched her head track the ghost that had just floated past. He was getting ready to pull her toward the door and back into the chapel proper when more of the apparitions floated by them,  he felt her shaking in his arms. "Shh. It's alright, these will not attack as long as you don't pull out a weapon or attack them." He looked around and eased his way out of the alcove, pulling her with him as he headed back toward the door out of the undercroft.  
  
When they were back out into the sun, he sat her on the bench. Her complexion was pale and her eyes looked huge in her face. She was still shaking and looking at him. "Now do you understand, Shalaree? Things are different here."  
  
She was in hell. A world where things of nightmares walked and were real. Plain and simple as that.


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

 

She was still sitting there shaking and looking like a lost child. Talen - Ai stood up and looked around at the small stalls that were lining the street. Nearby a bosmer hawked sweets made of honey and nuts from Valenwood. He brushed a hand down Shalaree's head and whispered he would be right back. He ran over to the stall and spent one of his hard earned Septims on the small bag sweet treats and a bottle of the honey mead from the barrel then ran back over to her.  
  
"Shalaree,  here drink some of this. I have something for you. I think you may like these, honey and nut treats. The absolute best ones always come from the bosmer of Valenwood where they collect the ingredients from the ancient trees there."  
  
She didn't argue, didn't say a word,  just upended the bottle nearly drinking all of it before she came up for air. She blinked at him several times seeming to come to herself before taking a nibble at the small ball that smelled remarkable good.  He stroked her hair some more as she seemed to calm while eating the sweet. She looked down into the small bag noticing she had eaten them all without sharing them. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't let you have any of these things."

He let out a chuckle, "I bought them for you, dear. Doing better now? I know it was a shock,  but I had no other way to get you to believe me."  
  
She gave a slight snort, "shock... yeah,  you could say that. And we are supposed to fight those things... how? They can pass right through solid objects."  
  
"They can be defeated, but it takes weapons of silver or better. If you are lacking those it takes magic and enchantments." He saw the look of confusion on her face, "I will teach you. I know you can fight,  the visions I saw showed a warrior of great strength,  ability, and determination. You will just need to adapt,  and learn to use these weapons instead of those amazing ones that I had seen you use."  
  
"If you are ready, we still need to find the alchemist and head to the Mage's Guild. Then the job board should be near the town square. If you see something that you would like to look at on the way just ask." He took the bag and bottle from her.

She followed him to a barrel that contained rubbish, dropping off the bottle into a crate next to the mead dealer. "You guys recycle?"  
  
He cocked his head at her, "I don't understand." She explained to him as they walked south away from the chapel toward where the main shops and guilds were.  
  
He stopped outside of the small building that had a signboard with a mortar and pestle on it. "This is the alchemist. We'll get a list of ingredients they are willing to pay for. It will save us time and space in our packs. Then the building next to us is the Mage's Guild. When we go inside there ... don't touch anything. Most things will have enchantments on it."  
  
Talen - Ai spoke with the alchemist as Shepard peered into various pouches, jars, and bowls that lined the shelves. He approached her putting the roll of paper in his pack. "Come on, most of the things she wants are easy to find,  she isn't paying well but right now anything will help."  
  
Shepard gawked around like a kid in a toy shop when they went in the Mage's Guild. Books were floating and a quill hovered over a roll of paper as someone was talking to a tall golden person with pointy ears. A dark-skinned male with deep red eyes wandered past them, several balls of purplish light swirling about his head. She watched as a human male with a rather long beard, stick what looked like a ridiculously long pipe in his mouth then light it with his fingertip. He started to puff out clouds of smoke that changed form the longer she watched, a huge grin appeared on her face. Her jaw dropped as a smoke dragon came flying toward her circled her head and flew back toward the old man who looked at her with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
Talen - Ai took her by the hand pulling her toward a small room off to the side where rows of staves were hanging on a wall, and a large circular altar was in the corner, softly glowing with runes. Shepard went back to looking out the doorway at all the strange but wonderful things that were going on in the main room while Talen - Ai looked at what was on offer. The enchanter was willing to enchant weapons if they were of good enough quality and came with a large enough purse of Septims.  
  
They were walking toward the town square when he told her they didn't have the money for weapons or enchantments, that the job was going to have to wait for a while. Things were more expensive than they had been the last time he had come through here.  
  
He pulled out a small journal, ink pot, and quill from his bag as he stood in front of the job board,  noting names and locations to meet,  jotting notes of what they were looking for. "Damn it, we should have come here first, there is someone in the Mage's Guild with a job." He put the items back in his bag, "we'll go there tomorrow. The job that was mentioned to us in the tavern is from an Imperial guard,  it says he's near one of the stables outside of town to the north. Maybe we'll get lucky and find some of those herbs on the way.

 

* * *

  
  
Talen - Ai approached the Imperial guard standing near the stables. They had watched him stop several of the riders that had come in and try to solicit help,  but the minute he mentioned the target was a skooma dealer and smuggler the others shook their heads no and left. "We are here about the notice,  tell me more about this skooma dealer."  
  
"He's a dunmer. I've been trying to catch Lonavo for months, but every time I approach the place, his lookout sees me and he goes running. I need someone to go in there and put a stop to those fetchers. They have been smuggling skooma from there for a while now, he's well armed and has at least one guard. You bring me his ring and I'll pay you well for it."  
  
"If we do this, we keep what we find, minus the ring. We also will need the guards to stay away from the house for a few days, we need a safe place to rest until I can find my woman someplace she can stay as I work."  
  
They watched as the guard looked Shepard over,  noticing she had no armor and only a dagger at her side. "I can't promise you much,  but maybe a day or so. We are under orders to get in there and destroy the skooma. If you put it in a barrel,  I'll pick it up and maybe it will buy you some more time. But the Count will want to ... appropriate the shack. Let me mark where Greyland is on your map."  
  
They were walking back down the road when Talen - Ai veered off into the wooded area, Shepard followed as he stopped to collect some ingredients. "Talen - Ai,  what exactly is skooma? I get that it's illegal."  
  
He let out a grunt, "it's a drug. Mainly manufactured by the khajiit since they grow the moon sugar that is the main ingredient. It is a mix of that and nightshade, a poisonous plant. It is highly addicting. When it's smoked it is said to give a euphoric sensation followed by lethargy. The effects are stronger if swallowed as a potion." He stood up and turned toward her, "moon sugar is a spice and is very sweet,  but it is addicting all on its own. It is illegal in the Empire and usually highly regulated elsewhere. The khajiit use it in their everyday lives, they crave sweets and are more tolerant of the effects. But when mixed with that plant, well... mixed wrong it can lead to major health problems, even death. Mixed together by someone that knows what they are doing, it becomes something highly addictive and worth a lot of Septims. It has ruined many good lives for all races. There is no known cure for the addiction."  
  
Shepard leaned back on her back leg, "sounds like something we had called, red sand, it would enhance biotics. But was addictive, very addictive."

 

* * *

  
  
They approached the outside of the small house,  careful to stay in the woods. Shepard told him to do recon on the building first. After looking at her for a full five minutes while swinging his tail back and forth she sighed and explained it. "Scout the area,  look for hiding spots and watch the home, see who comes and goes and try to find out how many guards there are. We will be better prepared that way."  
  
So she currently was up in a tree that he had boosted her into, laying out on a well-covered limb overlooking the shack. She reached for her comm unit only to remember it didn't work here and wouldn't matter anyway as he didn't have one.

She hoped she wouldn't tear the dress, not like they had the money to replace the damn thing. She smirked a bit as she remembered the look in his eyes as she climbed on his shoulders to reach the lowest limb. She had pulled the dress up and wrapped its ends around her waist to make it shorter,  exposing her legs and flashing her underwear at him.  
  
After another hour she scooted back down and dropped from the limb with an "oof." Talen - Ai was squatting behind a large rock with a view of the front door. "There is only one guard that walks around the house. One person inside, I think it's a dunmer, those are the dark-skinned people with the pointy ears,  right?"  
  
He nodded, "yes. The guard you see walking around is known as a marauder. See the mismatched pieces of heavy armor,  no helmet. That means it's not one of the strongest of the bunch. That will help some,  they can be tough bastards. What is really good... take a look at the weapon on her back when she walks back around here." When the human passed by, Shepard tried to see what it was that Talen - Ai noticed. "Do you see that light shimmer on the weapon. It's enchanted. Low level to be sure as its glow is very light,  but it's there." She glanced at him. "It can be sold or possibly used for barter for something we can use. Enchanted items can bring in a decent amount of Septims,  depending on the strength and type of magic it contains."  
  
"We need to take out the guard, as quickly and quietly as we can, or we'll end up having both of them going at us and you are unprotected." He motioned to her to go back into the woods. He pulled his bow from his back as he slipped around toward the back of the shack. He pulled a small vial from the pack at his waist and dribbled several drops of a clear amber liquid on the tip of one of his arrows careful not to get any on his skin or scales. He waited until the nord woman came around the corner and was between the two outlook window slits before letting the arrow fly.  
  
The paralytic he added to the arrow took effect immediately and she seized up,  unable to move or cry out. He slipped behind her, quietly slit her throat with the dagger, easing her body to the ground silently. He wiped his dagger on the grass then put it back, pulling his short sword from the scabbard and inching his way around to the front.  He didn't notice Shepard slipping down from the woods behind him.  
  
He reached out and pushed lightly on the door hoping it hadn't been locked. No such luck, he would have to pick it and hope that Lonavo wouldn't hear him. When he heard the slight click that signaled it was now open, he dropped the tools back in his pouch and stood up,  his sword in his hand. Taking a steady,  calming breath he reached for the handle pushing the release down and easing the door open just a crack.  
  
The heavily armored dunmer sat at a small table. The glow of the claymore that was propped against the table beside him did not give Talen - Ai a reassured feeling. He was a bit better outfitted than the other one as well. They needed this house undamaged as much as possible so he couldn't just blast him with flames,  so stealth it was. He eased the door open a bit wider and almost cursed as it gave a squeak alerting the dunmer, who grabbed his big two-handed weapon and turned to meet the intruder. Talen - Ai didn't waste any time in charging in, the clash of their weapons loud in the small one-room house. It was all he could do to dodge the much larger and longer weapon, the enchantment on the weapon must have been one to make the weapon lighter as the dunmer didn't seem to be tiring as fast as he should have.  
  
The dunmer now had his back to the front door.  He was backing away,  Talen - Ai realized the bastard was going to run. If he did they would lose out on the bounty. Neither one of the two males noticed Shepard ducking into the room or grabbing something from the hearth.  She came up swinging. The crack of the cast iron cooking pot connecting to the dunmer's head was almost as loud as the giant sword dropping to the floor, followed by the thud of the elf's body.  
  
Talen - Ai stood there panting and staring at her, the broken pot still clutched in her hands. "You ... you took him down with a pot." The clang of the pot falling from the broken wooden handle drowned out his breathing.  
  
"Yeah. It's called improvising." She tossed the broken handle into the corner and leaned against the wall. "Now what?"  
  
He sheathed his sword and walked toward the dunmer. "Now we removed everything of value from them both, gather up the bottles of skooma and put them into a barrel like we were told. Return the ring and come back here to finish up. This will buy us a bit of leeway with a place to rest. But it isn't very well protected. We can't stay away for long and will need to take sleeping shifts." He saw her nod and they stripped the body down to his small clothes, pocketed the ring in Talen - Ai's pouch then carried him outside and around to the back. She started to strip the woman when she saw him remove his dagger and slit the dunmer's throat. "Never assume they will stay dead." She opened her mouth then thought better of it, going back to removing the stuff from the woman. She felt like a Vorcha doing this. But she realized it was the only way they were going to make it in this world.  
  
Crates, drawers, barrels, and boxes were all searched. The bottles of skooma and bags of moon sugar were loaded into a barrel that he dragged outside and marked. Locking the door with the key he found on the dunmer, they hurried back to the guard.  
  
The guard went to hand Talen - Ai the small pouch of Septims when he shook his head, "it was my woman that took him down. She cracked his skull open with a pot. It is her bounty."  
  
"A ... pot?" The guard looked at Shepard again then gave a shrug, handing her the pouch. "I will have a cart pick up the barrel. I can stash it and wait for two days. That's the best I can do. Thank you, both for your service to the Empire."  
  
When they were back in the now securely locked house, and Talen - Ai had a pot of stew bubbling in the kettle, he opened the packs bringing out everything they had found. He separated it all out, putting the large weapons back into the magical pack as neither one would be able to use them efficiently. The dunmer's set of heavy armor was in decent shape, it was a mix of steel and orcish pieces. "This set should bring in about 100 maybe even 150 Septims. The female's gear may fit you if you want to try out heavy armor. Or we can sell it and maybe have a decent set of light armor made for you. The choice is yours."  
  
Shepard got up and stirred the pot while thinking. She was used to lighter armor, but they had built in shielding, sensors and a way to dispense medi-gel for injuries. Here there were no such things. When she was pulling that armor off of the woman it was quite a bit heavier than what she was used to. Would that extra weight be worth it? Or would it just weigh her down and make fighting harder,  and she was determined to fight. It was,  after all, the only thing she really knew how to do.  
  
"I think lighter armor would be better. Without the servos and modifications that I had on my other armor, that other stuff will be just too heavy."  
  
"Alright, we will sell this then,  maybe another 50 or 60 Septims. We'll check a pawn shop see if anyone sold any gear, if there is none there, the smith may have taken some in trade. When we get back from town we'll start training you on the bow."

 

* * *

  
  
Their first stop was at the Mage's Guild. The job was still available and Talen - Ai was unsure if he wanted to take it.  A khajiit,  clearly addicted to skooma,  wanted them to go find the Tears of the Savior. Shepard stood scratching her head until they walked out of the room,  they didn't give the mage a positive answer but told him if they ran across any would bring them to him.  
  
They were standing at the bottom of the steps when Shepard asked him what they were. "I'm not sure other than them being some type of crystal,  at least that was what I thought he said.  We would have to go to the Imperial City to do some research on them before going after them,  and no guarantee we would find any or get paid. He is a skooma addict, Shalaree,  he may not have the funds to pay for them."  
  
They went to the enchanter and asked him to identify the enchantment on the two weapons and that they were for sale or barter. While Talen - Ai was talking to the woman at the counter Shepard walked over to a row of staves along the wall. At first, all she did was look at them,  then she reached out and grabbed a plain wood one, straight with no adornment on the ends,  only what looked like leather wrapped around the middle.  
  
She didn't notice the same older man that had made the smoke animals enter the room. She took a few steps back and ran her hand along the wood. She started to twirl it around her body, crossing it around her back before bringing up over her head,  twirled it and brought it straight down to crack into the floor causing everyone to look at her. "Oh ...oops sorry ... got carried away there."  
  
"Shalaree, I told you not to touch anything," Talen - Ai hissed at her, more worried that she could have gotten hurt than not being able to pay for what she may have broken. "Are you alright,  you didn't hurt yourself did you?"  
  
"Uh ... no. I sorta just ... it looked like my old bo staff. I just wanted to look at it. And well ...",  she shrugged still holding the mage's staff in her hand. The woman at the counter came charging around telling her she was going to have her arrested for breaking the merchandise when the older man cleared his throat and she stopped screeching.  
  
"I have not seen a mage's staff used quite in that way,  young lady. What exactly were you doing?" The deep tones came from the older male as he looked at her. The same twinkle in his eyes he had before.

"Uh, well, sir. It is an ancient form of fighting where I come from. Well not exactly where I come from,  but from one of the races of people. It's a form of what is called Martial Arts, and using a staff like this one is just one form that is taught." She cleared her throat and edged back over to the wall attempting to casually replace the staff in the holder.  
  
"Shalaree,  you can't just pick stuff up and do that sort of thing. First, you punched that pickpocket with a mug,  then killed a drug smuggler with a cooking pot,  now you almost break a mage's staff. One of these times you're going to get hurt." Shepard waved a dismissive hand at him and made another pfft sound.  
  
"Will you show me what you were doing again? It was quite a sight. I found it rather fascinating to watch."  
  
Shepard, chewed her lip and shrugged, "I - I guess,  but I'm going to need to use that staff. So err... don't have me arrested or turn me into a toad if it breaks. Ok?"  
  
The old man's lips twitched, "hmm... I haven't turned anyone into a toad in ages,  it may be quite fun to do so. But, alas, I agree to your terms."  
  
She took the staff from the wall and followed the older man as he left the room, Talen - Ai right behind her. They were led to a much larger room, filled with many rows of seats and a large stage. It looked like a sort of classroom.  
  
The older man took a seat in the front row and motioned Talen - Ai to sit.  Shepard cleared her throat, positioned her staff in the beginning stance. She closed her eyes and took a breath,  letting a wave of calmness flow over her. Then she began. Her dress didn't allow for certain moves so she had to adjust the routine. As she twirled and snapped, chopped and stabbed out with the staff her heart started to ache. The last time she had done this was with Thane, partnering with her and imparting his own staff and martial arts techniques taught to him by the guild. She brought the staff down one last time,  and turned away from the two males, not wanting them to see the tears that had started to form in her eyes.  
  
Talen - Ai knew something was wrong the second she turned from them. "Shalaree,  are you alright?" He got up and walked to her when he saw her shoulders shaking. It was then he understood and drew her into an embrace. This was an emotional hurt not a physical one. "You used to do this with Thane? The two of you together?"  
  
"Yes. I don't know why I'm like this, I could control this before. Push the emotion away,  I had a war to fight,  no time to wallow in the loss. No time for anything but the next mission,  the next assignment. I was... I was...",  she pushed out of his arms and took several steps back from him,  staring him in the eye. "It can't be. You ... you woke me from my battle sleep? How?"  
  
"Is everything alright, young lady?" Shepard turned to the male,  just now noticing the large crowd that had gathered while she was performing.

"Yes. Yes,  everything is alright, just... uh... something in my eye is all." She heard a noncommittal hum coming from the old man as he once again lit his pipe.  
  
A dunmer approached, "back in the Third Era,  staves were used as enchanted melee weapons by non-mages and mages alike. Today they are mainly used just by those with magical talent to cast with or as a means for those with no ability to cast a limited amount of certain spells. We were unaware anyone still knew how to use them as such. Although nothing in my studies hinted of the way you used it."  
  
"Oh uh,  well this was passed down through many generations. Along with many other things. I was taught this as a child and continued when I joined the military. My ... my partner taught me techniques passed down to him as well,  from his own race."  
  
"Ahh,  I see. Are you part of the Imperial army? I do not see others of your kind doing this,  we rarely get any of their brutish people in here buying, other than enchantments or spell scrolls."

Shepard wasn't sure what the Imperial army was, but she knew she wasn't a part of it, "no. I'm not from around here and no longer part of the military."  
  
Several more of the mages approached her with a myriad amount of questions that kept her busy for the next two hours. Their thirst for knowledge wouldn't let them leave her go without getting some answers. The older male stood up and motioned to Talen - Ai, they stood in a corner deep in conversation for quite a while before Talen - Ai tipped his head to the older human and turned back to Shepard. "Shalaree,  it is time to go. We must finish our transactions with the enchanter then go about our business for the day."  
  
Shepard put the staff back in the holder then stood by Talen - Ai as they finished up. As they were leaving they didn't see the older man carrying that very same staff talking with the dunmer mage and heading for the basement stairs.

 

* * *

  
  
"The weapons brought in a decent amount of Septims, the enchantments were not of the highest level but the weapons were in decent shape. They will just resell them for a profit after they recharge them." They hurried into the armor shop after Talen - Ai lifted his head and sniffed the air,  announcing a storm was coming.

They bartered the armor, Talen -Ai getting angry at the smith who was clearly trying to cheat them. "Take my offer lizard or get out of my shop." Talen - Ai bared his teeth then repacked the armor,  grabbed Shalaree's hand and stormed out into the downpour of rain.  
  
"What was that all about?" She yelled at him as they ran through the pouring down rain heading back towards the southwestern part of the town, where he stopped under the overhang of a shop. He wiped the dripping water from his scales and the feathers on his head puffed out, water shedding from them and running down his back. "He was trying to cheat us, he didn't like the fact that I am neither Man nor Mer."  
  
She stood silently next to him,  until there was a lull in the strength of the storm, pulling her several streets over and inside a new store. This one was packed with odds and ends. One side seemed to have furniture, rugs and wall hangings, the other contained everything from pieces of armor to children's toys. Talen - Ai once again started his bartering process while Shepard looked around.  
  
He waited until they were back out in the rain before telling her that they didn't make as much money as he hoped. Though he knew this shop owner wouldn't give him as much as the armor was worth, it was still better than the armorer. "We won't be able to stay here much longer Shalaree. There are no jobs, and I won't go to work for the mercenary company here. The Mages Guild offered some pay if you would teach at least one of them some of the things you were showing them earlier. I told them I would speak with you tonight but also told him of the situation. He told me there is an old cave outside of town, the mercenaries and bandits that are held up inside are under bounty from the Count. He was unsure of the number but neither the Blackwood Company nor the Fighter's Guild has been able to root them out." He took a deep breath and gazed into her eyes. "I will go and test my luck while you teach the mages what it was you were doing. If I don't make it back the pay they give you may be enough to sustain you in this town. Maybe you can talk them into letting you have a bedroll in one of the unused rooms to sleep in."  
  
"Oh hell no, you aren't leaving me here. I'm going with you." Shepard's brow furrowed and her lips turned down into a frown.

"You can not, you have no armor to protect you from arrows or swords, you have no magic to help protect you or deal damage. You have no proficiency in the bow. And you certainly won't go around attacking them with nothing more than a skillet."  
  
She tried to argue with him clear back to the shack they were squatting in, to no avail. He would not give in. She was abysmally bad with the bow, whether it was because she was upset that he was leaving her behind, or because it was something she just didn't use, neither one really knew.

The next morning he handed her a small pouch,  it held all of the Septims they had along with several health potions,  just in case of injuries later. He walked with her back to the Mage's Guild. Brushed a hand down her face,  then turned and left, walking briskly toward the western gate.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Glow mushroom** \- item from Skyrim, I have no idea if this glows because of a phosphorescent chemical in them or not. But I use it as part of a marking technique for dark areas such as caves in this story. When in a cluster the mushrooms give off quite a bit of light, but my thinking is when dried and ground it may not be so bright if used sparingly.
> 
> Mention of rape later in the chapter, non graphic and is told in the past tense. 
> 
> Alright ... before anyone leaves a comment telling me there are no carts in Oblivion or Skyrim ... yes, I know ... but damn it I miss my cart from Daggerfall and its usefulness in cleaning out dungeons... and shops >.>

* * *

 

Talen - Ai studied his map, the location of the cave wasn't very far away, just a few miles west off of the Green Road toward the Province of Elsweyr. He moved at a quick clip in the early morning fog, stopping to gather herbs he knew had a slight healing effect when used,  even without them being brewed into a potion.  
  
When he was a mile from the cave he changed his direction, climbing on the rocks and small hills above the location where the cave was. He slowed down and started taking a more cautious approach,  not wanting to alert any of the bandits that may have been out on patrol. He stopped behind a particularly thick bush filled with fragrant violet and white flowers and watched as the bandits hauled in more stolen loot, some of the sacks and barrels had blood stains on them that looked fresh. Several more carried in huge hunks of meat, possibly a cow but doubtful this far south from Skyrim.  
  
He counted five bandits going inside. How many had remained behind while the others went on their raid? This was not looking good. He had no idea how big the cave system was,  how many bandits there were, and if they had magic on their side or was just the regular brutish thugs he usually encountered. He let out a huff, his feathers on his head puffing out before resettling into place. He would have to hope that one or two would come out a time, whether on patrol or to take a piss. He wasn't sure he could survive if he had to try and fight his way through them all.

 

* * *

  
  
Shepard stood just inside the guild hall doors, still angry at Talen - Ai for leaving her,  but also knowing that he had been right. Until she could adjust to this world,  learn their ways and be better prepared to fight,  she would only be a liability in most circumstances. The dunmer from yesterday approached her and guided her to a different room than the one she had given the demonstration in. Inside she found several robed figures of different races standing there with staves that looked exactly like the wooden one she had used and one of the guards in heavy armor with a shield and what looked like a wooden practice sword.  
  
The older male rose from his chair and approached her, "I hope you don't mind, my dear,  but many of the mages from yesterday were interested in learning. They also asked for a practical demonstration. Niel has agreed to it. When you are ready." He took his seat again and lit his pipe, a fragrant green smoke soon wafted from it.  
  
"Alright."

The dunmer handed her the staff from yesterday and she gave it a few twirls. When she nodded she began,  the heavily armored man approached her as he would any criminal and she whacked him along the head and deftly moved from his reach, stabbed out and twirled the staff which disarmed him. The poor sod didn't know what hit him as she cracked him in the small gaps in the shoulder and along his neck. He was brought to his knees when she jabbed the staff into the area where only a thin layer of chainmail and leather was. She laid the staff aside and helped him up, asking him if he was alright. "Normally, the training opponents wouldn't be so heavily armored. But wearing clothing like we are,  or in some cases heavy leather with a few metal plates so they had a much greater range of mobility." She grinned at the man in the armor, "can you imagine getting whacked like that if you didn't have this armor on?" He let out a huff and called them all nutters.  
  
The mages started whispering among themselves and clutching their plain wooden staffs in their hands. She picked up the staff again and showed them all the starting stance to use during practice. She asked them how they normally stood to do whatever it was they did while holding their staff. Most of them just stood there with one end of the staff on the ground beside them, or in the case of the conjurers lifted it in the air, making small balls of purple lights appear. She went to each one and did some minor adjustments,  showing them a different way to stand then if they got into trouble could quickly bring their staff up to bear on the opponent,  giving them time to back away and get ready again. Step by step she showed them the first routine she ever learned as a child. True it was basic, but that would be all they would need to begin with. It showed them every move they would need and could build on it themselves as they practiced.  
  
The morning wore on and she kept glancing at the door, worrying her lip between her teeth. _Where was he? Was he alright or did something happen? What would she do without him to help her figure out this strange world?_

 

* * *

  
  
Talen - Ai carefully moved to a position to let him see the front of the cave and the areas to both sides,  he had grown weary as the hours had passed with none of them exiting the cave. He dropped into a crouch when he spied a glint just inside the opening. The light of a torch reflecting off of metal. With the amount of fog and low visibility conditions that Blackwood had daily the bandits must have decided to take the chance of having them lit was worth the risk of being seen. He waited a minute to see if it was armor it reflected from or something just positioned inside the cave entrance. The light flickered and the object moved, shifted and resettled into place,  a guard then.  
  
As quietly as he could he reached into his bag withdrawing a small green bottle. Poison was something he very rarely used. But in this instance where it is at minimum five to one odds, he needed whatever edge he could get. Sliding on a pair of thin leather gloves he kept an eye on the cave while he carefully coated several arrow tips with deadly nightshade mixed with stinkhorn. Even though argonians couldn't be poisoned he didn't want to take the chance of getting cut or getting some on his scales and hurt Shalaree when he was done with this business. Once he was ready,  he balanced himself,  drawing the bow from an awkward angle and used the light flickering to judge where the bandit was standing. He sent up a prayer that the bastard didn't have a shield in front of him. The almost silent twang of the bowstring was drowned out by the light clatter of the bandit falling. Talen - Ai moved quickly, drawing his dagger and silencing the bandit before he could recover from the shock of an arrow in his shoulder and the burn of the poison rushing through his system.  
  
He dragged the bandit outside,  dumping his body behind some empty crates that were stacked out front then moved back into the cave system. Using a mix of ground charcoal and powdered glow mushroom he placed a small mark on the wall, just above the light from the torch. He moved quietly,  one step at a time,  listening for anything that would give away the position of another bandit. He continued to mark the wall with symbols showing him the way out until he reached a branch in the tunnel. He made a different mark on the tunnel that led off to the right and slowly worked his way down, stopping as he heard a shuffling in front of him then a grunt. The sound of wood sliding against wood followed and Talen - Ai marked the wall and inched forward,  another arrow ready. He saw the light of another torch up ahead and a bandit moving crates from a small cart and piling them in a corner. He must have made a slight sound because the bandit called out, "Helnis, is that you? Get your lazy ass in here and help me move these crates. The boss isn't going to like this taking so long. He's got another raid already planned." Talen - Ai's arrow hit him in the back, the tip neatly slicing through the leather of the armor he wore. Talen-Ai dumped the body in the corner and tossed one of the pieces of cloth that had been covering the crates over it before moving on.  
  
Once back to the branch he placed yet another mark on the left path. This path was better lit and it made him leery, he would be much easier to spot. There was no choice though. He had only taken out two of the bandits,  there were at least three more and if he was to get that bounty he needed this cave clear. Marks were made as he moved down, coming to another fork and going to the right. He came to a darker area and crouched near the floor to let his eyes adjust, he saw it was a bunk room of sorts. He counted seven bedrolls spread out on the floor. One of which was currently occupied. He slipped his bow over his shoulder and carefully drew out his dagger. Moving slowly and watching where he placed his feet, he approached the figure on the bedroll, stopping when the man let out a snort and shifted,  then sighed and resettled. Talen - Ai moved quickly and the male would never wake again. Three down at least four more to go. He hoped to Oblivion the bandit leader wouldn't be surrounded by the rest of the bandits.  
  
The branch to the left was once more marked and started down, he cursed silently because of these bandits and all their damned torches. He started to smell meat roasting and knew he was coming up on either an alcove used as a kitchen or the main part of the cave. He shifted on the balls of his feet and once again moved forward, the clattering of pots and the grumbling of two males coming from the opening to the left made him pause. "That damn Joreal needs ta' be put down, we had the chance of gettin' us a damn woman in here to do this. That purty elf girl had nice tits and she hadn' been used up yet. If that bastard hadn'  pinched that lil' nose of hers while he was stuffin' her mouth and just used her like the rest o' us did we'd have that lil' girly here now."

Talen - Ai grit his teeth and clench his fist as he heard the bandits casually talk about raping a woman. _Just another reason to put all these bastards down. And these men call us beasts?_ He nocked an arrow and eased forward. One stood with his back to Talen - Ai,  cutting up vegetables while the other one was at a different table holding a cleaver and using it to disjoint meat. He shifted his feet then released the arrow, the power behind it sent the man with the cleaver tumbling to the side knocking all the pieces of meat to the floor. In the seconds it took to register what happened in the mind of the other bandit, Talen - Ai already nocked another arrow and had released it, that bandit toppled over the table,  his head banging into the wall of the cave with a sickening crunch.  
  
He leaned against the wall breathing through his nose as quietly as he could,  letting the anger he felt flow through him and release. He had to keep calm, he was still outnumbered and could be caught at any time. It was pure luck that he had gotten this far without an alarm sounding. He used the small metal hook to tip over the water container putting out the fire. The last thing he needed was choking smoke cutting off his breath from burning meat filling the air. He took a few seconds to coat a few more arrows before moving further down the cave's passageway.  
  
He was no more than 20 feet from the kitchen alcove when he heard someone coming up the passage and slowly backed up until he reached the kitchen opening. He moved to the side trying to blend into the shadows a bit better and waited. He heard the shuffle come closer then pass the opening, quickly moving he let loose another arrow before the bandit had reached the branch. He let out a sigh,  one more plus the leader. Unless there were more bunk rooms that he hadn't found yet though he highly doubted it. From what he had seen there wasn't much food cooking, certainly not for a really large group.  
  
Once again starting down the passageway, carefully placing his feet so as to make as little sound as possible he headed toward where that last bandit had come from. As he neared the end of it he noticed the entrance was well lit,  a torch on either side. Unless no one was in that room or he got lucky and they had their backs to him, he would be noticed. He readied his bow, hoping to get one arrow off before they could react. He inched his way forward until he heard voices echoing in the large cavern.  
  
"Where in Oblivion is Joreal? He and Helnis should have been back by now, when I give a damn order I expect these bastards to follow it. We got word of another caravan heading for Bravil in the morning. We need to get in place and have Helnis scout it so we know how many guards there will be this time." Talen - Ai heard the creaking of leather and the sound of metal shifting and paused. Once the sounds stopped he moved another few steps. "This last haul was nothing but shit. The next time Joreal starts to get out of hand with one of those women I'm cutting off his cock, that bastard caused us to lose a possibly valuable slave for the sex trade."  
  
Talen - Ai grinned,  at least he had already killed that bastard and hoped the girl's soul rested a bit easier. A few more steps and he would be in the doorway.  
  
"Intruder!" The cry came from the person that happened to be facing the doorway. Talen - Ai let go of the string,  the flight of the arrow was swift but didn't hit the mark he aimed for. The heavily armored bandit had reacted faster than Talen - Ai had hoped and moved at the last second. The arrow pierced his shoulder instead of dead center in his back. He dropped his bow, drew his sword and sent out a burst of flame toward the leader as he ran for the less protected bandit. He was fighting both of them as furiously as he could, flames spurting to keep them on fire instead of just using long bouts of it. His magicka was limited and didn't want to find himself unable to heal if it became necessary.  
  
Finally between the poison that was running through his system and the amount of damage he took from the flames and sword thrusts the leader went down. The other bandit was badly injured and stumbled to his knees, begging for his life. "You are a thief, murderer, and rapist. The bounty is paid for your body. Not to bring you in alive." Talen - Ai ran him through with his sword and then stumbled toward the wall. He quickly used what magicka he had left and healed himself. As he caught his breath he dug into his pack and drank down a tiny vial of blue potion, feeling some of the power return to his body.  
  
He began stripping off the armors and valuables from each of the bandits,  stashing the heavier pieces in sacks and loading them on the handcart from the storage room. Once that was done he wheeled it out to the cart that the bandits had hidden beside the cave. The rest of the day was spent going through all of the containers looking for valuables. He wasn't sure if they had left anyone alive to claim it or not but hoped that they could at least come away with a finder's reward if he couldn't outright keep it.  
  
He had just pulled the body of the leader into the corner of the room when he spied a glint of metal from under a small bed, he flipped the corner of the fur covering and saw it was a lock box. After checking for traps he cautiously picked the lock. He didn't find a key on the bandit and wondered for a moment if this box had been stolen and they were unable to open it up. He felt some tension on the pick and removed it, reinserting it and moving it slightly to the right and trying again, the tension wrench turned a bit easier in the lock. He heard a snap, "Oblivion take it!" He dug out the broken piece of the pick and tried again. Twenty minutes later the lock gave a click and opened. Inside were several small pouches, a silver hair comb, and what looked like a flawless emerald. He dumped out the pouches seeing a rainbow of gems tumble out and Septims. Carefully placing the flawless stone into one pouch he put it into his pack where he currently had the gold ore and small piece of mammoth tusk. Now he just needed two more perfect stones then he could complete the wedding band. He scooped the rest of the valuables into the other pouches and put them in his small bag.  
  
After hitching the bandit's, probably stolen, horse to the cart he made his way to the stables. When he saw the same guard he had helped before, he jumped from the seat and talked to him. A trade of a small pouch of coins later and Talen - Ai had the cart filled to the brim with crates, barrels, and sacks, stashed and guarded behind the stables.  
  
He made his way to the gates of the Leyawiin Castle to report his completion of the bounty's requirement. The steward sent a guard with him and they hurried back to the cave. Once he noted that indeed these were the ones that had been seen on the Green Road he handed Talen - Ai the document to give to the steward. It didn't mention a thing about the armor and valuables being stripped,  just noted that there had been nothing of value found and most likely it had already been sold. Talen - Ai gave him a curious look. The guard shrugged, "I used to be an adventurer like you until I took an arrow in the knee." He did, however, suggest going to the Imperial City to sell the goods, away from the eyes of the Count and Countess.  
  
Once he received his bounty reward, 300 Septims, he hurried to get Shalaree. If they were going to the Imperial City they needed to hurry. There were very few spots that were safe enough to camp, especially with a horse-drawn cart.

 

* * *

  
  
Shalaree was overlooking a practice spar when Talen - Ai came through the door.  She didn't even think about why she did it, but the next thing she knew she had her arms wrapped around him,  holding him.  
  
"It is alright, Shalaree, I am unharmed and have finished work. We need to leave though, we have business in the Imperial City and it is quite a ways away. It will take us weeks to get there. I need to purchase a few ward scrolls while I am here, then we must hurry."  
  
As he went to make his purchases the mages she had been teaching surrounded her, thanking her for showing them other uses for their staffs, a few passed her potions or small trinkets. The dunmer mage approached her, the book he had been furiously scribbling in since she had arrived followed diligently behind him. "I must thank you, my dear, the amount of information that I have obtained has been tremendous. This will be used to further train others. I have something for you, a gift, this is a ring that I enchanted just for you. It will help shield you from damage and since your lover is an argonian I had an additional spell enchanted on it, it will allow you to breathe underwater as he does, as long as you wear this ring you can not drown. Wear it always." He patted her hand and hurried off.  
  
Talen - Ai came back and asked if she was ready, seeing her sliding a ring on her finger and noticing a fairly strong glimmer from it. "Yes. I'm ready."

They headed toward to the door only to be stopped by the older mage. "You aren't leaving without saying goodbye to me are you, my dear?" The kind voice said from the stairs they had just passed.

She looked up with a smile as he approached. "Sorry sir, but I didn't know where you had disappeared to and Talen - Ai said we needed to hurry."  
  
"Ahh,  yes I understand you are headed to the Imperial City,  that is quite a distance. I wish you safe travels and may you find what you are looking for in this world, my dear. Not everything need be a struggle. I too have a gift for you, for taking the time and putting up with us inquisitive old men." He raised his hand and a young boy approached carrying a staff. The same length as the wooden one she had been using but this one had the shine of metal to it. "Our craftsman made this for you, a special staff made of the finest silver and yew wood. We have added a nice little spell to it called Telekinesis,  a handy little spell that will let you grab items currently out of your reach or let you throw objects. Quite useful to use for distraction. Plus it is quite fun to hit people with rotten tomatoes and have them unable to figure out who did it." This caused everyone within hearing distance to start laughing, more than one started to nod. "Simply say or whisper the following word while pointing the staff at the object you want to move, "Mobiundus",  then either pull your hand backward to bring the object to you or push it out to throw the object." He reached for the staff and pointed to a book on a table. "Mobiundus", and twitched his other hand toward himself, the book came flying toward him and he caught it neatly in his hand. "Mobiundus", he shouted as he pointed at the book and pushed it away,  the book went flying and hit a poor old man in the head causing him to cry out.

"Hey,  watch it!"  
  
Shepard started to laugh as did the older man, "come follow me please, this won't take but a minute of your time." They followed him into the enchanter's room where he put the staff on the counter and reached below the shelf pulling out several small crystals. "These are soul gems, they are used to refill the magic in enchanted weapons or items. The larger the soul gem,  the larger the soul it can hold. The larger the soul,  the more magical charge can be restored to your items. These can be purchased at any Mage's Guild,  or sometimes in shops. They can also be found as a treasure of sort. Watch carefully." He held the small gem to the staff and a flash of light happened, the small gem shattered into dust which he quickly brushed into a small pouch,  tucking it in his robes. He placed several of the smallest glowing gems into a pouch and handed it to her. "There you go, my dear. Talen - Ai has some magical talent, so later I suggest he learn the Soul Trapping spell or have it enchanted on one of his weapons. You will need it for better enchants. Come back and see us,  Shalaree."

 

* * *

  
  
He hurried them through the western gate and helped her up on the cart's seat, passed a few more coins to the guard then started north up the road toward the Imperial City.  
  
"We'll need to make it to the small town of Border Watch tonight, there is an Inn there. We can stop there for the night and head out at dawn." He looked over at her and gave her a smile, "they seemed to like you there, Shalaree. Rarely do they ever give items away,  especially ones that are worth many Septims,  such as that ring and staff."  
  
She laughed, "it was actually pretty fun there today. They tried to use the staffs,  the younger ones were able to pick it up faster. And the laughs we all got as they accidentally smacked themselves or worse when they hit one of the others. This one poor elf went flying when he tripped over someone else's staff. They all took it in good humor and I think they had a lot of fun while they learned." She rolled the staff in her palms where it was laying across their laps. "But I was worried. It grew later and later and you hadn't returned. I wasn't sure what happened. I'm a fighter, Talen - Ai,  a Commander,  I'm not used to sitting out fights. Especially ones that are dangerous."  
  
He looked back at the road in front of them, "it couldn't be helped, Shalaree. But, I am safe. We are together and we should be able to make decent Septims from these items. Speaking of which, how would you like to test out that staff? You aren't armored, but there are some ruins between here and Imperial City. Small ones, there may be something there we can use. Several caves are along the way and bandits are still pretty thick along this road. We'll make a stop in Bravil, maybe find something there for you.  We have some spare Septims and other items we can trade now."  
  
She smiled at him,  her heart beat a bit faster as he returned it. "Yes,  I think I'd like that."


	9. Chapter 9

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Talen - Ai looked at the position of the sun, trying to gauge just how much time it would still take to get to Border Watch. He knew of a small Ayleid ruin nearby. If they didn't make any unnecessary stops they should just about make it, if they didn't spend more than an hour, two at the very most at the ruin. He made a quick decision and pulled the cart onto a small path that would take them past the ruin.  
  
Shepard looked at him, "where are we headed? I thought we were in a hurry?"

He gave a slight shrug. "I thought you might like to see a ruin, there may be something there for you to practice on, instead of waiting. It's close by and still on the way to the Inn."  
  
A half-hour later he pulled the cart behind some rather thick overgrowth and jumped down. He reached up to help Shalaree down only to find her already off the cart and had her staff hooked into a special rig one of the mages had given her. He signaled for quiet and they made their way up the slope toward the ruin. When they got closer they heard someone cough and a "Shh" come from somewhere at a higher vantage point. They dropped low to the ground. He started to whisper to her to go back to the cart then thought better of it when he saw the way she was staring at him and frowning.  
  
He pulled his bow from his back and she slid the staff out of the holder, they eased their way closer and he took a quick look around. His feathers puffed up and he reached into his bag pulling out the journal he had written jobs in, quickly flicking through the pages. He pointed to one of the listings, tapping the page and showing it to her. She read over it and peeked through the foliage, taking in the description, especially the black bow on the dark elf's back as he was bending over to see the other person leaning on a staff near the front of the ruins.  
  
The bowstring gave a slight twang as the arrow was released, a slight grunt was heard before the body hit the ground. At the same time, Shepard activated her staff and threw a barrel into the other person. Talen - Ai released an arrow into the robed human who had started to stand back up.  
  
They waited a few seconds to see if the noise drew anyone else to come out of hiding when no one appeared they quickly moved to the bodies. Talen - Ai grabbed up the bow stuffing it into his pack, they moved them behind the large rock near the entrance. He readied another arrow and moved to the door. Shepard looked over the door,  trying to find a button or a handle, some way for it to come open. "Push on the large circle in the middle of the door, Shalaree."  
  
She pushed on the round stone and it moved inward, the door slowly moved to the side and she backed away from it. Talen - Ai took a cautious step inside, his eyes scanning everywhere. These types of ruins were notorious for traps. "There could be hidden traps. Stay near me."  
  
He started down the set of stairs,  taking slow measured steps. Shepard, on the other hand, was almost ready to start grinding her teeth. She hated this slow and easy stuff,  this was Thane's forte not hers. She was the charge ahead and shoot anything that moved kinda gal. They both froze as they heard the clang of something being dropped or knocked over up ahead of them. They started once again at a slow pace,  Talen - Ai looking ahead then down at the floor or walls. Shepard let out a low hiss and started forward quickly,  she was tired of waiting, lurking in bushes and moving like an ancient land turtle.  
  
There was a click and her foot sunk into the floor, Talen - Ai had just enough time to grab her by the back of the dress and yank her back several steps before the floor fell out from under her,  the light gleamed off of razor sharp spikes.  
  
They heard a clatter of heavily armored footsteps rushing their way. Talen - Ai couldn't get his bow up quick enough and took an arrow in the arm,  spinning away and landing heavily on his chest. Shepard screamed for Talen - Ai and activated her staff, trying to pull the man's bow from his grasp. When that didn't work she pushed backward. Nothing happened.  The man brought his bow up and aimed directly at her.  
  
A burst of flame came from beside her, the heat was tremendous and she stumbled to the side. Talen - Ai kept up the spout of flame from his hand until his magicka ran out, the flames sputtered then went out. The screams from the man literally roasting alive inside the heavy armor soon died away as well when Talen - Ai jumped over the edges of the trap and ran him through.  
  
Shepard started to say something, Talen - Ai kept his back to her,  his tail swaying from side to side giving an agitated flick. "Don't say a word, Shalaree." His voice was gruff and sounded strained. He reached up to the arrow still embedded in his arm and snapped the end off of it. He let out a grunt as he dropped the broken shaft on the floor.  
  
She watched as he stood there,  his back straight as he calmly rammed the shaft through his arm and out pulled it out from the back. She winced as how much pain he had to be in without anesthetic or the nerve and pain blocks her suit would administer. She dropped her head when she realized he wouldn't have been hit with that arrow if it hadn't been for her. "Talen ..."  
  
"I said not a word. You better learn to follow my orders or I will leave you in town,  the Hist be damned. This is not the world you come from, you are not a Commander here, you know nothing of how things work here. I just had to burn a man alive, torture him, Shalaree. Because you would not follow a simple order to stay near me after I told you about possible traps." He still hadn't turned to face her. He walked a bit away from the burnt body and reached into his pack, removing a tiny red vial and upending it in his mouth. Replacing the now empty vial and removing several herbs, he stuffed them in his mouth and started chewing as he dug around for bandages. She watched as he spit the herbs into his palm before packing the still open wound and tried to wrap the bandage around his upper arm.  
  
She got up and made her way to him, taking the bandage from his hand and shakily wrapped his arm before tying it off. He rolled his shoulders and gathered his bow from the floor where he dropped it when he fell. She picked up her staff and followed him toward the end of the hall where he stopped to look around carefully before he entered. There were three bedrolls and what looked like a chest in the small room. Picking up the bedrolls, he gave them a shake, rolled two of them up tying them with leather straps from his pack. He moved to the chest and looked for any traps, when he was sure it was clear he tried to open it,  then drew out a lockpick and wrench. He dropped the pick on the ground when his arm twinged from the pain.  
  
He muttered something, a tiny bit of light swirled around him. He reached for his pick and set about opening the lock. Inside he found a small pouch with a handful of Septims, some clothing, two healing potions and a set of cheap bracers. He let out a curse and slipped it all into his pack. He went across the hall to look in the other room, it yielded a cheap dagger and a few loaves of bread. He handed one to Shalaree and he started to eat the other as he left the room.  
  
He stood staring at the blank wall at the very end of the hallway, slowly chewing his bread. Shepard stood watching him, wondering what he was doing looking at a wall when he reached out and pushed a tiny colored piece of stone she hadn't noticed until his finger pushed on it. The wall slid back and another hallway was revealed. She moved up and he stuck out his arm blocking her path. He made no move to enter right away only stood there eating and looking around. He reached for the bandage slowly removing it and letting the herbs fall to the floor. His body glowed with a white light again and Shepard watched as the wound fully closed. He rolled the used bandage up putting it in the bag as he walked down the hallway closely followed by Shepard.  
  
At the end of the hallway another small room opened up and in the middle, there was what looked like a marble chest. He took a few steps into the room and pointed at a small crystal that was in a holder by the chest. "That's a Welkynd Stone. Check to make sure nothing is attached to it, that you can't see any buttons or disturbed dust on it. If after you look carefully and can't find anything, slowly lift it out, put it in your pouch for later. Tonight we'll go through some of this stuff and see what else is valuable enough to keep. Keep that handy, I may need it if I run into trouble and have to use magic again. It will replenish me fully, only once but hopefully, it would be enough."  
  
She went to do as he asked. After making sure she was checking, he bent once again to pick a lock. He let out a soft grunt as he opened the chest revealing a large pile of old coins. He scooped them up and added them to the pouch of coins he already had. They moved back to where they left the bandit and he set about stripping the armor and valuables from him. He did the same for the ones outside. The dark elf had a nice set of leather bracers and he carefully slid them on Shepard's forearms, making sure the leather was smooth and not creased before tying them tightly with the leather strips before harvesting the plants in the area then returning to the cart.  
  
They were back on the road and he set the horse moving in a quicker clip than what he originally wanted to use, considering the number of goods that were in the cart, but they were running behind and he wanted to get to the Inn. "Talen - Ai,  when I tried to use my staff to disarm him it didn't work. Why?"  
  
"Because Telekinesis is not an attack spell, it is for distraction or retrieval of unbound or unencumbered items. Moving objects. That was why you could throw the barrel. Nothing was holding it down. The bandit had a grip on the bow,  it wasn't going anywhere."  
  
She fell silent again, she should have listened. Used the staff in the way she really knew,  but all she could think of was to get the bow away from him. She wished she had her guns, then she shook her head. She had to stop thinking of her old life, each time it got her into trouble. This wasn't anything like her home. This wasn't Earth or the Citadel, she didn't have guns or armor mods. She didn't have bone weaves or skin weaves to repair her body when she took a bit of damage. She could have been killed,  she could have got Talen - Ai killed, all because she was used to taking charge and rushing into things. Relying on her omni tool, on her guns and those of the ones on her team to cover her ass.

 

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When they pulled into the Inn's yard, Talen - Ai set the brake and told her to wait with the cart. He entered and talked with the khajiit that ran the establishment, paying the 10 Septims for the room and another two for stabling the horse and cart, including a bag of food for the horse. He drove the cart to beside the stable and unhitched the horse, taking it inside and caring for it before returning to Shepard. "Come on, room number 1 is the one she rented out. It's right inside the entrance."  
  
When they went back inside the khajiit looked at them and reminded Talen- Ai about the Cheese Museum before she went back to looking at a book. Shepard stumbled then whispered to Talen - Ai, "did she just say she had a museum ... of cheese?"  
  
The khajiit heard her, "oh,  yes. It is famous. I have some of the rarest cheeses in all of Tamriel. The displays are right through that door."  
  
"Oh, I have got to see this." Shepard tried not to laugh,  but Talen - Ai heard the quaver in her voice.

"Alright, while you look at the displays I'll get your dinner and leave it in your room. I'll see you in the morning, Shalaree."

She turned back to him, "what? You aren't staying in the room?"  
  
"No,  I have to stay with the belongings. Good night, Shalaree." He left her standing in the doorway as he went back outside.

 

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He spent another couple of hours rearranging the packs and barrels, there hadn't been much from those bandits worth keeping. Even the hedge mage had just junk. His staff was only wooden with barely any enchantment charge left on it. He grabbed one of the bedrolls and spread it on the ground under the cart. He pulled the small silver hair comb from his pack, he had meant to give it to her when they had arrived but was still angry at her carelessness from earlier that he had forgotten. Maybe when they reached Bravil and rented a room for a few days,  he refused to stay more than that in the stinky dump. He rolled over and faced the Inn,  his eyes closing after a few minutes.  
  
Shepard laid on the bed,  tossing and turning for most of the night. She couldn't seem to fall asleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the arrow going into Talen - Ai, and him falling to the ground. He had been injured and should have been sleeping in a soft bed. Instead, he was outside protecting a cart while she was inside the Inn in a cozy bed. It was only a few hours until dawn when she finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

 

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Talen - Ai, picked up one of the sacks he set aside last night and went into the Inn, S'thasa was in the same spot she had been when he had left the building,  the only difference was some of the pictures on the wall were even more crooked and a chair was laying on its side. He sold the sack of perishables to her for a handful of Septims and went to wake Shalaree.  
  
Once again she was having a hard time waking up.  He sighed and pulled her to stand up, lacing up the corset and putting her bracers back on for her while she stood there and wobbled. "I never used to be like this, I always woke up at the first little noise."  
  
"I do not know, Shalaree. Maybe something happened as you were sent here, maybe it's something about this world that affects you so."  
  
He handed her something to eat after he had her seated on the cart. He hitched the horse then went around collecting the plants, finding a few blackberry bushes and a watermelon vine with a ripe melon on it.  
  
"There is a cave about two hours from here. If you want we can stop there,  maybe give you a chance to use the staff,  but you must listen to me. Ruins aren't the only place that has traps in them. Bandits and others will set traps as well,  though usually, they are really easy to spot and avoid."  
  
She gripped the staff and thought about it as the cart rumbled its way down the road. "Alright. I'll follow your orders."  
  
"Be sure you can, Shalaree." Talen - Ai glanced over at her, seeing the way she was gripping the staff and frowning.

She nodded, "I'll follow you."

 

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They passed a small settlement of homes on the way to the cave, one of the villagers waved at them as he tilled the soil next to his house. Shepard waved back as they continued on. Shortly afterward he turned the cart off of the main road onto a small path and pulled to a halt.  
  
"Alright,  the cave is up ahead. I'm going to scout. Stay here,  you're hidden. I'll be back as soon as I can." He jumped from the cart and watched as she got down and stood near the horse,  the staff ready. He disappeared into the woods and headed toward the cave as quickly as he could. When he got near he noticed a few pitched tents and a small pit that looked like it had a campfire in it at some point but was now cold. He waited but didn't see any anyone. Approaching the campsite he looked around,  noticed many booted footprints heading to the cave entrance and a makeshift door had been torn down. It did not bode well unless whoever had been here had already left. If they did he doubted there would be anything there for them. He gathered the grapes and tomatoes from the vines and headed back.  
  
He guided the horse to the entrance of the cave and stopped it behind a large flowering bush nearby. He finished collecting the mushrooms and deposited the items into a bag on the cart then brought his bow off his back, giving a nod to Shalaree. They walked to the entrance and carefully went through.

 

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Talen-Ai led the way down the passageway, taking slow measured steps while scanning for traps. Shepard stayed behind him, watching and ready to smack anything that came near them. He stopped as he drew near an opening, they could hear shouting and the clang of weapons up ahead. He nocked an arrow and edged forward. He saw the group of people in the next room fighting among themselves. It seemed to be three on one, the one was better armored and he knew it was another Marauder. He eased back and made a quiet sign. Shepard nodded to him and watched, he waited patiently as the Marauder cut down the less armored and less experienced bandits. As soon as the last bandit fell he let loose with his arrow,  it buried itself into the back of the human and sent him face-first into what looked like several rocks that had fallen in the cave.  
  
He drew another arrow and waited when he heard nothing more he cautiously entered the room. When they got near the center of the room he grabbed Shalaree by the arm to stop her and pointed to the ceiling. "Do you see the rocks in front of us? They came from that trap. One of these people triggered it. We take it nice and easy here, Shalaree." She nodded and they dragged the bodies off to the side where another body was dead in a bed. While she stripped the bodies he went back to open the chest he had spotted. He picked it quickly and opened it up,  taking the small pouches and vials that was inside before hurrying back to her.  
  
The vials went into her survival pouch and the small pouches went into her empty pack. He searched the room locating a crate that was in sturdy enough condition to carry items in. "We load up this crate and get it out to the cart. Grab some of the empty sacks from the back. Once we get this room emptied we move on. I'm not sure how big this cave is, so it may take us some time to clear it out. We don't stop until we are sure that every last one is dead. The rest of the rooms we clean out afterward."  
  
She nodded and started to pile the pieces into the crate,  helping him to carry it out to their cart. He emptied the crate into the other containers that had room in them then tossed her several burlap sacks before grabbing more himself and jamming them into his pack. When they got back to the room they loaded the stuff into the bags,  the black bows from the bandits went into his bag. The bounty on them was of a nice size and he intended to take them all to the Count once he was able to settle Shalaree somewhere safe for a while. When they were done and he made sure everything was secured to the cart they went back in.  
  
They approached the next room,  again hearing the sounds of fighting. He dropped into a crouch and he hissed. Three bandits were fighting against two Marauders. "Get ready,  as soon as that last bandit falls it will leave both of those others, one is wounded but still very dangerous. Focus your staff on one of the bandit's fallen swords and send it into that elf, I'll take the other one."  
  
As soon as the bandit crashed to the floor she did as he said,  the sword flew through the air and stabbed the elf in the abdomen,  she turned and almost vomited. She didn't see Talen - Ai take down the other one. "Shalaree,  are you alright?"

She nodded, reminding herself that it wasn't Thane, in this world swords were common,  she had to get past it. "Take your time, dear one. I know it was not easy for you to use that sword. If you want we can turn and leave."  
  
"No, no,  I'll be alright. Let's move on." His eyes glittered as he stared down at her.

"Alright. If it becomes too much just say so,  we can leave as long as the way back remains clear." She nodded and stood, he moved a little way into the room. There were three paths from this room, he started to the right, stopping to mark the path with his glow mixture before moving on. This path ended in a room with yet more fighters inside. They followed the same process,  wait until the last man or men were standing then taking them down.

"I have so got to learn to use that bow." He let out a soft laugh as they moved back to the large room,  taking the left path and marking it before going in.  
  
After they cleared that room they moved back and as they approached the last entrance he heard a click and grabbed Shalaree to stop her just as two large spiked maces came dropping from the ceiling of the passageway, swinging toward where they would have been had he not heard the sound. He looked down and saw a very thin wire stretched across the floor the very tip of his boot had nudged the tripwire and set it off. He let out a huff and let her arm go. He marked the path then started forward. They approached a small opening and he waited,  they heard sounds of fighting, but it wasn't close so he carefully went into the room. It was empty except for a chest up against the one wall. He checked it over and opened it. He removed a dozen arrows that had a green tint, with a big smile on his face. "These are the best thing we have found so far, Shalaree. He tucked them into his pack and picked up the couple of Septims that were in the bottom of the chest before closing it.  
  
When they approached the loud fighting noises, he let out a curse and dropped down."Damn it, this could be a problem unless they can take out at least one of those damn Marauders before they go down." They heard a crackle and the air got colder, "Oblivion take it, one of those Marauders is a mage." They heard a cry that was abruptly cut off. Talen - Ai stood up with an arrow ready and edged closer, he watched the altmer reach for a pouch at her side and let the arrow fly, the mage dropped in her tracks. Shalaree sent a sword into another one as Talen - Ai let another arrow go. The last of the marauders came running at them and she met him with a stab of her staff, staggering him and backing the enemy into the room. The staff whirled, blocking his thrust,  she grunted as she connected with his head and sent him tumbling. Not giving him time to stand up she twirled it and brought it straight down on the back of his neck with a sickening crack.  
  
She was leaning on the staff and breathing a bit heavier when Talen - Ai approached her. He gave her a minute to pull herself together. "There is another broken door at the end of this room. If you want we can continue or clear this area of goods and leave."

She closed her eyes, she never walked away from a nest of gang members or mercs and wasn't going to start now. "We go on." She opened her eyes and looked down, "Talen - Ai,  what the hell is that? It's green."  
  
"He's an orsimer. They come from some of the mountain ranges,  tough bastards. We got lucky Shalaree, he used his Berserker rage against those bandits or he wouldn't have gone down so quickly,  no matter how good you are with that staff. They are one of the "beastlike" folk that is actually accepted more readily since they resemble men and mer more than I or the khajiit do. They are also some of the best armorers and front-line soldiers the Empire has, it has gone a long way to gain acceptance for their kind here."  
  
While she caught her breath he looked around. "Let's go get that empty chest from back at the end of the hall and bring it here. We can use it to pack the things we find from this room. There is plenty of armor here and it looks in decent shape."  
  
They dumped the empty chest in the middle of the room then headed toward the opening that used to be covered by the broken and discarded piece of wood that lay near it. They didn't get more than a few feet in when they heard a full out battle going on in the next room, Talen - Ai stopped and hugged the wall of the cave making his way slowly into the room. Once he cleared the passageway he let out a muttered curse. "Shalaree,  there is a huge group of them in there all fighting each other. We need to be careful,  we can either leave or wait it out and take care of the survivors, it's up to you."  
  
She gritted her teeth, fighting her urge to run into the thick of it. "We wait, can you spot a place we can hide until the idiots are done killing each other?" He removed his bow and readied an arrow, shifting as close to the wall as he could. He stayed in the shadows, as he moved his way around the edge of the room, she was right behind him. There was already several bodies scattered around the area, but his main concern was the 10 that was still fighting it out in the center.  
  
He saw what looked like an alcove and headed toward it, keeping an eye on the battle and in front of him alternately. When they made it to what he could now see was a small passageway he let out a breath and carefully made his way through it. They found a small chest in the first small room they came to, he quickly opened it and pocketed everything that was in it then moved on.  
  
The passage opened out onto a small ledge overlooking the area. They stayed crouched down low to the ground as Talen - Ai pointed out the enemies they needed to be most leery of should they survive. First was the one that was standing off alone, she watched as the tall male lifted a staff and what looked like lightning arced from it. "Oh Shalaree,  we want that staff. Either for you to use or to sell." His eyes skipped over the others. Two were archers and he gave a small sigh,  both were argonians, the other two were melee. He watched one of the argonians fall and sent a thought to the Hist. An answer came back to him, _'all that have drunk of the sap are welcomed home, Talen - Ai,  even those that had led less than honorable lives'._  
  
He scanned the bandits all of them seemed to be either melee or using bows. "Shalaree, see that big male by the large tent? He is the bandit leader, wearing much better armor and the glow from the enchanted weapon is unmistakable." They watched a bandit fall. Talen - Ai stood up, stayed in the shadows of the passageway, "do not move." He nocked an arrow and sent it flying into the battlemage, then froze. Letting out a breath when it didn't seem to draw any attention.  
  
She looked at him, he shrugged, "bandits will be easier to kill than the Marauders if we need to take on more than one at the end of this." He aimed for one of the bandits in the back, then let his arrow fly the same time as the other argonian did. One hit the other missed,  but it didn't matter. The other thought he had scored the hit and kept shooting. The archer soon fell to the bandits.  
  
He let out a soft grunt and dropped back down. "Take stock of where everything is and when this ends start sending things flying into the ones left standing as fast as you can, hopefully, it will cause enough confusion and damage that we can get a few solid hits in before they find us." She nodded and started looking around,  spotting several large swords on the ground. Another bandit fell in the melee,  his cry cut off sharply. Then the bandit leader finally stopped issuing orders and actually joined the mess. Talen - Ai stood up and sent an arrow into the archer that was behind all of the others then ducked back down. Soon it was the leader against the two marauders, then one on one. As soon as the marauder fell he let loose an arrow and Shepard sent in one of the huge swords finishing the leader off.  
  
"And that is one reason you need to work on your patience. What do you think would have happened to us if we didn't wait it out? Sometimes it is good to be patient. Now let's move that chest down there and start to fill it up, shall we?"  
  
They found several more large chests and before Shepard went to duck into the tent, a growl of a dog met her. "Whoa there fella, I'm not gonna hurt you." She carefully drew out a piece of the dried meat from her pack and tossed it to the dog. After sniffing it the dog settled down to eat the tough meat. "In here, another chest and a dog."  
  
They found several gems, none of which were particularly valuable, a book which Talen - Ai had ran his hand over before slipping it into his pouch. A few other odds and ends. They dragged the chest outside of the tent and put it near the others before opening them up. They found some clothing,  a few potions, a handful of Septims. He lifted out a sword, he let out a huff, steel. The chest they had taken from inside the tent was last. After he picked the lock they found more junk items, a pouch containing quite a bit of Septims, he handed Shepard the two soul gems that were inside and added the quiver of greenish arrows to his own pack.  
  
He stood up and Shepard started to laugh. "We hit the booty jackpot. How the hell are we going to get all this crap out to the cart?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have gone through and hopefully fixed the spelling error of "Kahjit" to "Khajiit".
> 
> Also I believe I have found all of the mistakes I made concerning, "see", "seen" and "saw". Please let me know if I have missed any.
> 
> Enjoy the new chapter.

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It took them nearly two whole days to gather up everything from inside the cave and get it outside. Another full day was spent pulling everything off the cart, sorting and reloading it. At least there had been enough food both inside the bandit's lair and from their cart. They had several sacks still to load, all of it perishable foods. "Shalaree, it will take me a few hours to get back to that Inn and sell this food. It will free up the bags and lighten the load on the horse a bit. We'll walk back to the settlement,  then I'll load up the bags,  I'll be back before you know it."  
  
She chewed her lip and nodded.  
  
They walked beside the heavily laden cart to make it easier on the burdened horse. They approached the man that had waved at them the other day and he said he didn't mind if she wanted to sit and wait on the bench next to his house.  
  
Several hours later Talen - Ai was back,  the sacks empty. He watered the horse and let it rest for a bit before they once again started on their way, still walking beside the horse. When they stopped for lunch he pulled out his map, "minus the random attacks from animals and annoying bandits along this road, we should be fairly clear. There are several old Forts and caves between here and Bravil, those forts are in ruins by the way. At the pace we are traveling," he let out a snort,"we'll be getting to the first one in a few days." He heard her let out a groan.  
  
They noticed a caravan from Bravil was approaching them. Talen - Ai hailed them, bartered some of the items they had on the cart. A barrel of dried meats, several sacks of cheese and still fresh vegetables, a crate of clothing, another of iron and steel weapons and bows was traded for Septims, potions and a set of small leather armor that fit Shepard reasonably well. She went behind some bushes to change coming back out several minutes later. Talen - Ai ran a critical eye over her and gave her a nod. The armorer in Bravil could adjust the fit when they got there. Now that the cart was lighter they could once again ride in it.  
  
They made decent time until a small group of bandits showed up. Seeing the heavily laden cart without a contingent of guards they must have thought they were only travelers. Shepard was grunting as she pulled off the armor from the dead bandit, she did have to admit, her body was growing stronger. Without having servos and mods helping to alleviate the weight of items she was actually having to use her muscles more. They finished jamming the items on the cart and Talen - Ai took a quick look around hoping to find another horse but not having any luck, they started back on the road again.  
  
An hour later Talen - Ai left the main road and stopped the cart at a tiny ruin,  at least Shepard thought it was a ruin. "This is a wayshrine, Shalaree. While we travel we will stop at these and present offerings and ask for the Nine Divines' blessing,  whichever one it happens to belong too."'  
  
He heard her let out a snort and turned his head toward her. "Do not be disrespectful. Remember what you have witnessed so far,  remember where you are and how you got here." She hung her head and mumbled an apology,  she felt ashamed. Thane had been spiritual and she hadn't mocked his beliefs, and here she was in a completely different world with strange things all around her,  and she mocks one of Talen - Ai's.  
  
He located a few items to carry to the small shrine and she followed him. He placed them on the small altar, she noticed many such offerings scattered about the small area. She put the things he handed to her down beside his then dropped her head in prayer. She twitched as she felt a tingling in her body,  she didn't feel as tired as she had been. When she stood up she noticed a soft glow around them both then it faded.

 

* * *

  
  
A while later Talen - Ai stopped the cart. He guided the horse off the road. "The first cave is nearby according to my map." The horse was spooked as a deer shot out from their right and ran across the road. Talen - Ai drew his bow after he calmed the horse. They rounded the corner and let loose an arrow.  
  
"You shot a rock. Kinda jumpy there aren't you Talen - Ai?" He shook his head and nodded toward where the arrow was sticking out of the rock. She walked over to find it was not a rock at all but some strange looking crab-like thing. It looked so much like a rock she backed up casting suspicious glances at the so far unmoving, other rocks.  
  
"It's a mud crab,  they are a nuisance. Especially to those that travel or settle near water. But they are also dangerous." He pulled the horse and cart up to higher ground away from the water yet still hidden in some overgrowth. He went back and after retrieving his arrow, set about gathering the edible meat from the mudcrab. "Uh ... what are you doing?"  
  
"Gathering lunch. Find us some wood to use as a fire so I can cook this. Once we get done eating we can go inside the cave."

He didn't see the grimace she had on her face. "You're serious about eating that thing?"

He didn't bother to turn around just kept gathering the meat. "Wood, Shalaree."  
  
He pulled a kettle from the cart along with some vegetables,  by the time she got back with the wood he was waiting. He lit the fire and caused the water to boil a bit more rapidly with the use of his magic, then set about making them lunch. "There doesn't seem to be much in the way of activity near the cave. So not sure what we will find in there. Probably some animals and plants. Doesn't mean to be lax about watching where we step."  
  
She nodded,  she had learned that lesson.

 

* * *

  
Talen - Ai,  heard it before he saw it. The flapping of wings. Of something flying yet not moving."Oblivion... I hate these things,"  he whispered to her as he drew an arrow. "I'll distract it,  you take it down with your staff." She nodded not knowing what "it" was. They rounded the corner and Talen -Ai shot the small hovering creature. It had large bat-like wings and looked like a tiny hairless human ... albeit an ugly one with pointy ears and red eyes. "Shalaree!" She jumped at the creature bringing the staff up.  The thing let loose with something white and Shepard felt cold for a second like she had been hit with a ball of ice,  before she hit it with a solid blow,  knocking it to the ground.

Her teeth started to chatter, "what the hell? Why do I feel so cold all of a sudden?"  
  
"It hit you with a snowball, Shalaree. You're suffering from frost damage. It will wear off soon." He bent and cut the creature open, she turned away when she saw him take something out of it and drop the bloody thing into a tiny pouch. He caused a tiny spurt of flame in each hand, cleaning the blood and gore from his hands before turning back to her. When she was no longer so cold they moved closer to the cave entrance.  
  
"Oh look at that flower," Shepard bent down closer.

"Good find, that is a Bergamot, we gently gather the seeds. The alchemists pay well for them." Once he was done gathering they entered the cave. The smell of animals was strong.

"Ugh... it stinks." She had a hand over her nose and mouth. 

_If she thinks this is bad ... wait until we get to Bravil_

The cave was full of animals. Not just any animals but bears. They found several dead bandits and more than a few chests. There was a small passageway leading to a lower area, with several more bears and chests. Some of it was junk, ragged clothing and moldy items they left behind. A loud roar filled the air as they walked along a twisted passage. It opened out into a large area that overlooked the entrance to the upper part. As they moved closer another angry sounding roar was heard.    
  
Talen - Ai watched as Shalaree took a better grip on the staff,  he thanked the Divines they were able to get her actual armor. It had kept the worse of the bites from the rat that had jumped out of nowhere and attacked, from breaking the skin. After they left here he'd have her drink one of the cure potions just to be on the safe side. They took a few steps forward then came to a halt. There in the middle of the room were two black bears and one huge brown bear up on its hind legs standing well over six feet. "Oh shit," Shalaree muttered. He had to agree with that statement wholeheartedly.  
  
"Damn it that hurts, Talen - Ai," Shepard had taken a swipe from a black bear sending her into the wall of the cave.

"I know,  just hold on." He rooted around in her survival bag and brought out a potion, she didn't even hesitate but drank it down.

"That bastard tore my armor."

Talen - Ai let out a small huff as he smeared a salve on her skin making sure it all closed up. "We'll fix it as soon as we get out of this cave. Rest here while I gather the pelts and meat, we'll use the chest to carry it out in. There are so many pelts here we should be able to have a new set of armor made for you if we need to." He got up and walked to the bears,  he heard her mumbling about bows, guns and fucking bears.  
  
The next morning he pointed to the West. "You see what looks like a stone pillar just over there. We are heading there next, or we can head straight for town. There are still many more places we can go to between here and Bravil."

She looked over the cart. "Let's just go to the town. The horse has got to need some rest and we got enough crap piled up on that cart. We can always backtrack." He pulled out the map and made some markings.

"Alright, we go straight to Bravil. According to the information I got, there are at least six more places between here and the town,  we can come back to them. Then head toward the Imperial City with maybe a slightly lighter cart."

She looked at the map, "what are all those markings?" She pointed further North than where he had placed the marking for the cave.

"That is the Imperial City,  and all those marks are either caves, shrines, ruins or camps. One or two are small settlements or an Inn with rooms to let."  
  
"Holy hell that's a lot."

He let out a laugh and started to completely unfurl the map,  there were thousands of marks. "This is just a map of the Providence of Cyrodiil. I have one of Skyrim as well, just not filled out so much. Most of these places I traded information for or heard rumors about but have not been to. Others I have marked but didn't have the time to go inside,  still others I have been in and don't mind going back to. The thing you will find about this world, Shalaree; there are always bandits and mercenaries who will take over ruins quickly. Clear out a bunch of them and it seems only days later that new ones have moved in. It is a never ending cycle it seems." He looked down at her, "Shalaree,  now that I - I have you by my side, we can become real adventurers. That is if you want. Or we could find a home and just settle down. Maybe open a shop or something."  
  
She blinked up at him, "I do not know quite yet. I'm still trying to wrap my head around actually being here."  
  
He nodded at her and rolled the map back up, "If we can keep a good steady pace and make no stops,  we should get there in about 16 hours."

 

* * *

  
  
The first thing she noticed was the stench. They hadn't even got into the town yet and already she could smell it. They were standing outside the stables, she was almost gagging while Talen - Ai haggled for boarding of the horse and cart. Both of their packs were filled as far as was comfortable then he set about trapping the cart. Wires, bear traps, wards and other various means. He took her by the arm and led her out of the stable. "We'll sell what we can, come back tomorrow and load up some more items. This town doesn't have much, but we can at least sell some of this stuff before heading out. There is an archery shop here. I want to shop in there, then find a suitable spot to start really training you. We'll get back on the road in a week or so, by then the cart should be lighter and we can visit some of those sites."  
  
They passed through the northern gate and Shepard almost turned back around. "God this is ... ugh. They really live in those buildings. They look like some child built them out of crates, all stacked up. A good strong wind would blow them over."  
  
"This is one of the poorest cities in the Empire. It stinks so bad because of the river running through town. These people use it as a midden. A sewer." He sidestepped a dead rat and hurried her along. "It also stays damp here."  
  
He went into a store that had a sign for general goods swinging from a hunk of wood by the door. The bosmer woman standing behind the counter purchased most of their goods for sale, "say, if you're looking to settle down,  there is a nice house for sale near the Castle. I even sell furnishing packages that will make it nice and cozy for the two of you." Talen - Ai gave her a smile and thanked her as they left.  
  
"Ugh ... live in this smelly dump. I don't think so." Shepard was trying to hurry along,  not even knowing where she was going,  she just wanted to get as far from the river that was flowing through the town as she could. Their next stop was the archery store. They sold the rest of the gear and Talen - Ai purchased better arrows and an archery target. He really needed to go to the Mages Guild and buy an enchantment.  
  
As they walked out the door they noticed a rather worn and rundown house with a For Sale board in front of it. He grimaced, the houses around it looked better, but that one had really been let go. Maybe the Imperial City would have one. They were making quite a bit of Septims now. Between the few jobs and going into those caves he has made more since she came then he had in the previous year. Of course, he pushed his luck a lot more as well.  
  
There was an Inn across the road, they hurried across and went inside, the orc at the front greeted them. "I'm Bogrum Gro-Galash, your host at the Lonely Suitor Lodge. It may not look like much outside, but that's just the weathered Bravil look." Talen - Ai looked around, the place was a dump, but it was cleaner than the other place he stayed at once and looked like the orc was trying to keep it in good repair.

"We need a room for several nights,  do you have one available?"  
  
"Sure, I got a room, the only one I have in fact. It's on the top floor, there are two beds. I'm pretty sure the sheets are clean. You can take your pick. Ten Septims a night if you share the bed."  He looked at them, "if you want to use both beds and pay in advance I can let you have the entire room for 15 Septims a night,  that's a discount."

Talen - Ai looked at the orc, more than likely that room hadn't been fully let out in months anyway. "We'll take both beds for a full seven days. I want a written and signed receipt with the dates on it. And no trespassing, we'll bring the sheets down to you and take clean ones back up."  
  
The orc gave him a slight smile,  the tusks at the side of his wide mouth gleaming in the torchlight, "sure,  sure whatever you want, as long as you pay in advance."  
  
After the transaction was done they headed up to the room,  the floor creaking and boards letting out an ominous crack once in a while. Several other customers were milling around the upper floors and Talen - Ai took note of all of them. When they entered the room on the top floor, Shepard let out a huff, "there's no door. What the hell?"  
  
"Don't leave anything out. I'll guard the doorway while you get ready for bed. Don't worry I'll trap the entrance, we'll know if anyone tries to come in. But we need to sleep."

 

* * *

  
  
The next morning,  they brought down the sheets and reminded the orc there was to be no trespassing into the room. Talen - Ai looked at him, "things won't go so well for the ones that don't listen."  
  
The orc stopped wiping the counter, "sure,  sure. No problems there. No one goes in. The sheets will be ready by tonight. Uh,  clean and dry... at least as dry as they can be here."  
  
They stopped at the Mages guild, had the staff recharged and sold everything but the staff of sparks. After recharging it and buying whatever petty soul gems they had in stock they went out the North gate and into the woods. Talen - Ai set up the target and proceeded to help her with her archery.  
  
He stood behind her,  his arms on either side as he showed her how to hold it. He felt her tremble a little as he brushed against her, "it's alright. The gloves on the armor will give you a bit of protection from the bowstring." He moved her body a bit to show her the proper stance. "Unless you have to use an odd angle or need to be in a crouching position this will give you better stability." He adjusted her a bit more then lowered his head down near her own. "Keep your arm straight, for now, use this finger to sight with. The whole thing should be straight not bent or at an angle. Don't worry about speed right now, we are working on getting you to know how to use it. Speed and accuracy will come from practice and using it." She gave another shiver as he ran his hand along the underside of her arm. He showed her how to nock the arrow and the placement of her fingers, "alright, draw the string back,  when your middle finger reaches the corner of your mouth,  let go of the string. Do not try to aim with the bowstring drawn, you'll start to wobble. Aim then draw, reach the anchor point and release. Ready?"  
  
"Keep your arm straight next time,  head turned a bit more so the string doesn't hit your nose." He dabbed a bit of healing salve on her slightly bleeding nose.  
  
Several hours later she called a halt. Her shoulder and hand hurting from the difference in using a bow than a gun. They gathered up her arrows,  at least the ones they could find and weren't broken, and headed back to town. "Tomorrow, we'll go check out that ruin up there."  
  
"Actually,  it's still pretty early and we aren't that far from it. Can we go after we put this stuff away and get something to eat? Maybe tomorrow we can start checking out the other areas we passed?" She rubbed her shoulder a bit more as he walked. When he stopped at the stable to reload their bags with small things to sell along with all the ingredients he had gathered, he thought it out.

"Alright, but only the small one today. You need to let your shoulder rest a bit,  then we keep working on your archery."  
  
She let out a sigh, "if only those damn things were shaped like my gun and held the same way,  I may not be so bad a shot with it."

He let out a laugh, "you didn't think you could just pick it up and be an expert at it within a few hours, did you? It takes practice and hitting a moving target is even harder. You have a limited amount of arrows,  each one must count. You have to practice. Later on, we can hunt,  give you some practice on anticipating the run path and adjusting to meet it. It would probably be similar to what you already know with the weapons you used before, but with these, you just don't aim it and have it happen instantly. What I saw in those visions ... I don't know. You pointed that weapon and things fell. I didn't see you do anything."  
  
As he packed their bags she explained the guns she used. He had a hard time believing that something could produce its own ammunition,  only needing an outlet for built-up heat, and as long as they could replace those they could keep firing indefinitely. After selling everything they hurried out of town and up through the woods heading for the ruin.

 

* * *

  
  
Talen - Ai slowed down their approach, it was another one of the elven ruins, also known as the Ayleid ruins. This one looked much larger than the previous one. He leaned closer to her, "Shalaree,  this one is a lot bigger than what I had originally thought. This will take more than a few hours to clear,  especially if it is heavily infested with creatures or bandits."  
  
Shepard stopped and looked around. "Talen - Ai,  do you hear that? Sounds like a snorty type of heavy breathing."  Talen - Ai pushed her to the side just as what looked like an upright bull came charging between them. "What the fuck is that!?"  
  
"Less talk,  more hitting. These things will kill us quick." Talen - Ai had started flames spouting and cutting with his sword, the bull-like creature lashed out with his fists knocking the sword away. Shepard hit the creature in the back of the knees, it wobbled but didn't go down. Unfortunately, it turned its attention to her. When it turned to her she saw reddish eyes in a face that resembled an old Earth bull. This thing was much taller than her and much heavier.  
  
She struck out again with the staff,  hitting it in the abdomen, a twirl and a hard hit against its arm. Talen kept up the short bursts of flame as Shepard kept hitting it with her staff,  finally having enough and bringing it up between its legs landing a solid hit to its unprotected groin area with as much strength as she could. The beast was almost lifted off his hooves. Needless to say, it collapsed in a heap and Talen - Ai ran it through the heart,  finally killing it.  
  
"Holy fucking hell, Talen - Ai." She leaned on her staff as he quickly reached into his bag,  pulling out one of the larger blue potion vials and drank it down quickly. Then handed her a small green one.

"Drink quickly. Where there is one usually another is close by." She no sooner downed the potion and handed the empty vial back to him then she heard a bellow and another one of the creatures came charging at them, this one carrying a huge hammer.  
  
"Shit!" Shepard ran to the side just as it charged past her, as it turned to come back around Talen - Ai hit it with more flame. As soon as the flame spout stopped Shepard stepped in with her staff dodging and hitting it with everything she had in her, leaping back when Talen - Ai yelled a warning right before he sent in another burst of flame.  
  
Talen - Ai saw the hands of the beast glow, "don't let it touch you! It can break down your armors!" Shepard leaped back out of the creature's reach. Stabbing out with her staff into the unprotected abdomen. They kept up the rotation of flame and weapons until finally, the beast collapsed. "Drink one of the tiny red vials in your pouch, Shalaree. Your arm is bleeding from that last hit. You sit and rest while I gather up the horns and that weapon. Then I'll tell you about these creatures."  
  
She watched as he moved to the first one, taking his dagger and cutting out around the horn before carefully cutting them off the bull creature's head. He did the same with the other one and wrapped the four horns into a cloth before putting them in the pouch. The giant hammer he looked at was intricately detailed and covered with blood. Most of it old and crusted on, he dampened a cloth and rubbed at the one spike on the end, a sheen of wrought silver met his gaze. "A nice chunk of Septims can be had for this. It's a silver hammer."  
  
Shepard let out a snort and he turned quickly to see her hand covering her mouth and her cheeks turning red. Her eyes started to stream and he ran over to her thinking she was hurt. All of a sudden she broke out into a fit of laughter. "That... that thing better not have been named Maxwell."  
  
Talen - Ai looked at her rolling on the ground laughing then back at the minotaur. Trying to figure out what was so funny.


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

 

After she finally stopped laughing he told her the creatures were minotaurs. They were dangerous when they charged and even more so if they damaged your armor to the point where it no longer protected you. She stood up and brushed off her leathers as they walked toward the door. As usual Talen - Ai insisted on gathering ingredients,  while he did so she wandered around noticing what looked like a well. Only this was putting out a greenish glow. When she brought it to his attention he told her it was an Ayleid well and would increase magicka for a short period of time. She continued to look around finding a hidden chest on a slight hill around the side of the ruin. She checked it over like he always did and didn't find anything. She chewed her lip then flung the top of the box open, finding several of those red colored vials in the bottom of the chest. She quickly pocketed them, as she was walking back down the other side she spied what looked like a small tent.  
  
"Talen - Ai,  I saw what looked like a campsite up there." She pointed in the general direction of it.  
  
"We'll check it out later. You ready?" He stood up placing the bundles of herbs and flowers in his bag and drawing his bow.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

 

* * *

  
  
Once inside they went down a set of stairs, Talen - Ai stopped to listen once in awhile. As they reached the end of the hallway, they peered through the decorative railing. Talen- Ai pointed out some movement below. It was dark and they couldn't quite see what exactly was down there. They backed away from the railing and headed to the left, a gate blocked their way. Talen - Ai looked at it and gave a huff, his feathers puffed out.  
  
"This is not going to be easy, Shalaree. I can either try to pick this lock or we can look for another way down." He whispered to her,  trying to keep his voice soft enough to not be heard by whatever it was that was down in the lower part of the room.  
  
"Let's see if there is another way,  if not you can try and pick it. This damn place is so dark."

He stood up and let out a huff of laughter, "we could definitely use a magelight spell in this one." They crept back to the opening then headed right, they didn't get far before they found out it was a dead end.  
  
"We could always hop the railing and drop down." She leaned around the corner. They had passed a rather large section that had the upper part of the ornate railing missing.  
  
"Well, we could. There should be a way to pick it from the other side or maybe a switch to open it." He moved out around her, "let me take a better look." In the feeble light of the room, he could barely make out the movement of at least one creature and heard a hissing noise. A different creature? The same one perhaps? No, it sounded further away. Maybe a trap. He just wasn't sure.  
  
"There is at least one creature, possibly two and also traps. If we do this, we go together and we don't move until I say so." He waited until she gave her agreement. He drew his sword and jumped, she was right beside him. When they landed they heard another bellow as the figure charged them. This time there was no hesitation, Talen - Ai used his flames to keep the creature on fire as they used their weapons to kill it. They no sooner finished it off when they heard a shuffling type of run from behind them,  they both turned and Shepard let out a cry as a huge creature came toward them. Hunched over like a gorilla with long arms and an oddly shaped mouth with big teeth. Talen - Ai pushed her to the side and used flames on it,  this time in one long burst. It let out a horrid scream and fell backward within seconds. They stood still, Talen - Ai could still hear a hissing sound and knew it was a trap.  
  
"Before you ask it's a troll. They will sometimes have a weakness to fire. There are also traps down here for certain. Let me get these ingredients, then we move slow. I don't like the sound I'm hearing at all." He gathered a few Septims and the horns from the minotaur,  the troll he carefully scraped several fat deposits from under its skin until the small pouch he was holding was filled. Shepard let out an "Ugh... that's gross."  
  
"Get used to it. There are many such ingredients that alchemists pay good Septims for." He tied the strings and put it back in the small pouch at his side. "Alright, we go slow. I know you don't like doing that, but visibility is bad in here."  
  
He moved to the side of the room, his steps slow and measured, the hiss he heard was getting louder. He let out his own hiss when he noticed the hole in the floor. "Damn it." He scanned the floor and walls before backing them up and trying to move around it. "What? It's a hole in the floor just hop over it."  
  
"Things are not always that simple. Do you want to see why I'm being so cautious? Use your staff and pull that troll's body toward the hole." Shepard stared up into what she thought was his face,  it was so dark she could barely see,  even with her enhanced vision courtesy of Cerberus cybernetic eyes. She pointed her staff at the crumpled body and moved it to the hole. No sooner had the body dropped back to the floor than walls came shooting up and the hissing noise got louder.  
  
"That, Shalaree, is what is known as a walled gas trap. The huge hole in the floor is actually the delivery system for the gas. As the walls come up the small area is flooded with gas that can and will kill you. If you can't find the wall that drops and run out in time, well, you're pretty much dead." She watched as a small section of wall dropped then quickly raised back up several times.  
  
"Keep your eyes open,  where there is one gas trap there are more." Talen - Ai edged his way around the walled-up section of the room and waited until the trap reset for its next victim. As soon as the final wall came down he took Shalaree's hand and they ran across the very tip of the stone section where the trap had been. They were far enough away from the trigger that it wasn't set off. He breathed out a sigh of relief and drew his bow again.  
  
They walked through a maze of a passageway, the hissing sound once again getting louder. They encountered a small room,  several more minotaurs came out of the darkness. After collecting their horns,  Talen - Ai used what was left of his magic to heal them both. He sat on one of the large sections of rock to rest,  "I need to rest a bit before we continue. I don't have many of the magicka potions left and need to conserve them." When they got up a slight flash caught his attention. He walked over to a blank wall and Shepard let out a huff and waited. After several minutes he reached out and brushed the grime off of a small block of stone with a blue stone in the center.  
  
"Hmm, get ready. These blue stones set in a push block usually mean a hidden room. Only we have no way of knowing if it's a trap or a treasure room. Or both." He pushed on the blue stone and the wall to their right opened up and he carefully walked in followed by Shepard, a hissing sound grew louder. There were several glowing blue stones in the wall here and it was brighter than the large room they had just left. "Ah, it is both. See those pipes, more gas. What you need to do is watch the pattern they activate on. One goes on while another goes off."  
  
She watched and she could see the movement of the dust in the air from where they clicked on and off. She also spotted the rather large container in the back of the room. "Go on. If you are sure you see the pattern,  go for the chest. It is usually not locked as the builders relied on the hidden room and traps for protection, at least in these small rooms. I'll keep an eye on you. If you get in trouble I'll come and get you." Talen - Ai looked down at her and nodded watching her scanning the room. She took several steps into the main room,  then started to zig zag in a tight pattern until she gave a huge leap onto the set of steps leading up to the chest. "Well done, Shalaree. Look for tripwires or pressure plates before you approach the chest,  once you're assured it is clear,  open it."  
  
She looked around then reached out for the lid, as soon as it was opened the hissing stopped. She turned back when she heard him approach. "When the chests are activated it stops the trap, giving the owner of the chest time to get what they wanted or put what they wanted to keep safe in the chest. So,  what did you find?"  
  
She dropped the moldy clothes on the dais next to the chest after checking them for anything hidden inside. Then handed him a bundle of arrows, she opened a pouch dumping a handful of coins in her hand and a small gem. "There's a small red gem here." She tucked the gem and coins into her small pack and went back to the chest. There was a sword in the bottom of the chest along with a set of yellowish boots.  
  
"Look at the sword,  see the dull color, it's either iron or steel that needs polishing. It's not worth a lot,  so if we get overloaded before getting out of here,  this can be one of the first things we drop. The boots on the other hand you may want to hang onto. They are light in weight and that yellowish color is usually significant to two types of armor. The light one being made by elvish crafters. More durable than leather and still light. The other being dwarven made and much, much heavier."  
  
They made their way out of the room and started to head down the hallway, a shuffling noise came from around the corner and just as the troll came into sight it was met with a spout of flame from Talen - Ai. Several trolls and minotaurs later he leaned against another wall. "This place is much bigger than it looks." He let out a huff and handed her a small wrapped bundle of food. "Eat, we haven't stopped more than a few minutes at a time since we got into the maze."  
  
They had just started walking again when they heard a woman's laugh. "Damn it all." He hissed into Shalaree's ear. "Don't be fooled, that laughter is not from a woman... well not from a normal woman anyway. There is a spriggan up ahead, a female creature. Dangerous. It can fully regenerate its health in an instant. If we were out in the woods I would have us find another way around. They can also summon bears,  so be very careful."  
  
When they reached the end of the hallway he looked around the corner, Shepard bent a little and did the same. What she saw was the strangest thing. A woman that looked like she was dressed in the bark of a tree with strategically placed moss, vines, and flowers on her body. She also noticed the creature's hands,  its "fingers" looked like sharpened branches. Talen - Ai waited until the creature turned away from him before stepping out and hitting it with a burst of flame, the laughter turned to screeching. Shepard's staff flashed through the air, snapping out to keep the creature at a distance. She didn't dare try to maneuver away from his side as he wasn't using anything but flame on it. So Shepard kept up with the hits of her staff between the flames. She heard him growl when the creature seemed to turn into a glowing mass of insects. He hit it with a full flame spout. The creature fell, a white glow started around it. "Shalaree,  hit it with everything you got before it regenerates!"  
  
The silver of her staff flashed and the sound of wood cracking against wood was loud as she brought it down on the creature's back and head. As the creature started to stand back up still glowing white,  she swept the legs out from under it sending it back to the ground. Talen - Ai once more sent out the flames to engulf it. When it stopped moving he knelt down and quickly cut out what looked like a wooden heart with a green swirl pattern on it. He stumbled as he leaned up against the opposite wall.  
  
He held out his palm, "taproot. Never forget to cut this out for the alchemists." She nodded and took a closer look at the root and where he had cut it out from.  
  
They started back down the hall when they caught sight of another small blue stone on the wall. He pushed it and waited for the hidden door to open. A bunch of dust came down and caused her to sneeze.  
  
"Crap, sorry." She said as they heard a loud clattering sound racing toward them right afterward. A giant creature that made her shudder came around the corner rushing them. It moved like a crab but it had an upright body. She almost screamed as it came closer. It looked like some mad science experiment. Scuttling toward them on four crab legs with two extremely long appendages in the front, waving crab-like pincers in the air. The chest of the upright part of its body looked like the armored underside of a crab with a humanoid head.  
  
"Don't let that thing touch you!" Talen - Ai yelled at her then shot the flames out. She scrambled out of the way as the thing screamed. When the flames stopped she struck out with the staff, Talen - Ai was using his sword to try and keep those pincers away from him. It was then she noticed the 2 thinner appendages growing from its back that ended in what looked like sharpened scythes that started to slash toward him. She blocked them with her staff then went to work trying to crack the plating on one of its legs. The screeching of the creature was getting louder and Talen - Ai was starting to worry it was going to attract any creatures left in the ruins. "Get back!" She leaped away in time for him to send out flame directly at the creature's head forcing it back but it didn't seem to be doing much damage to it. The flames died and he rolled to the side, "get it off of me!" Shepard jumped in front and started to twirl the staff as quickly as she could, the clacking of the staff against the limbs as they tried to break through her spins to get to her was echoing in the hall.  
  
"DROP!" She didn't hesitate but did as he shouted. A flash of green embedded itself in the thing's head. It was one of the arrows he picked up from an earlier cave. The creature stumbled and another arrow was released and found its mark in the thing's chest. Shepard rolled away from it just in time to keep it from falling on her.

"What the living hell was that thing? And why wasn't your magic doing anything to it?" She stumbled and leaned against the wall next to where he was.  
  
He opened his pack and started to drink down a blue potion followed by tiny red one. He handed her a tiny green one. "That thing is known as a land dreugh. It's a creature in its adolescent form. As adults, they are completely water bound. In this form, they are bound to the land and can't swim. Sinks like a rock but can walk on the river or lake bed though. The reason my magic didn't work is the same as why my sword didn't." He reached for a small dagger and pouch in his pack and set about collecting some substance from the creature. "These things can actually resist some of the damage from normal weapons and magic alike. It takes enchanted weapons,  like your staff, to really damage it. Those arrows I used are enchanted. Powerful,  but irretrievable." She looked over his shoulder as he scraped a waxy looking substance from the creature.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Dreugh wax, it's worth quite a bit and hard to get." He looked at the creature then sighed and grunted drawing out his dagger. He opened the creature up and Shepard let out another "eww."

He just shook his head, emptying the thing's stomach. "Uh... what in God's name is that?" Shepard was pointing at one of the objects that had fallen from inside. "It looks like a fork... why in the hell did that thing eat a fork?"  
  
"The same reason it ate this Septim and ring. They eat whatever they think will taste good. Until they become adults they are dangerous and not very smart. After all, it got trapped in this damn room." He stood up using flames to burn off the worst of the muck from his hands.

"Alright, one more thing. You said not to let it touch me,  why?"  
  
He nodded then lifted the claws, "not only will these things cut through your leather pretty quickly,  they have a special ability. They can shock you. If they get their claws on you,  you have to deal with the damage from shock and claws. At the same time, the other appendages come down to try and slice you open. These things are nasty bastards. These are the type of creatures you want to keep at a distance,  use enchanted bows on them. I'm sorry for putting you in danger when I asked you to get it off of me, but I needed to get to those arrows."  
  
Shepard shrugged, "we're partners,  right. I'm learning my way, I may stumble and do something stupid once in a while. But I'm getting the hang of this world,  little by little."  
  
Talen - Ai looked at her and tilted his head, "that you are, Shalaree. I will show you more places, you can try other weapons. Even learn how to craft them if you want,  brew potions and gather ingredients,  there is so much to do in this world. So much you can learn." He moved slightly closer,  drawing one plated finger softly down her cheek, "I'll be by your side, Shalaree. I know I'm strange to look at. Different than anything you have encountered before, your previous lover was more like you than I am. But I will be here. We will figure everything out together."  
  
He started down the hallway from the direction that the creature had come from when he heard her mutter behind him, "you're not that strange... except for those damn feathers. I still haven't figured out why a reptile has feathers on its head." He let out a soft laugh. The passage ended up leading them to a large room. They saw the chest in the middle of it, Shepard took a step forward when Talen - Ai's arm shot out. He had heard a soft groan sounding from the other side of the room, coming from the darkest corner.  
  
He opened his pack while keeping an eye on the corner, quickly slipping a different bundle of arrows into his quiver and readying the bow. He took several careful steps into the room and the groan got louder, the temperature started to drop rapidly as the ghost came towards them,  the glow around it becoming brighter as it got closer.  
  
"Move! Don't let it touch you!" He yelled as one of the new silver arrows was released from his bow. She watched in wonder as it seemed to actually stick in the ghost and it let out a scream. She scrambled back as it moved closer to her, she swung the staff in an arc,  she could actually feel it connect with the ghost. All of a sudden it disappeared. "Crap, where the hell did it go?"  
  
She heard Talen - Ai grunt then a burst of flame came from where he had been standing. The wailing of the ghost became louder as the flames kept up. When it was finally dead she heard a muffled thud and ran to where Talen - Ai had just collapsed on the ground.  
  
"Talen - Ai!" She could feel the coldness coming from him,  she dug into her pack bringing out a health potion, uncorking it and pouring it in his mouth. "Come on,  wake up!" She shook him several times,  he felt so cold to her touch. She could feel his chest moving so knew he was still alive. Several minutes later he let out a low groan and she gave a sigh of relief.  
  
"I hate ghosts, especially ones like those." He croaked out, "dig in my pack, get me one of those tiny green potions." She opened his pack up trying to find one of the small green bottles, she started muttering as she moved wrapped bundles of ingredients from the side of the pouch and pulled out one of the small green potions from the quick find slots. Glad he had shown her how to set up her pack for finding potions quickly and followed the same way in his own pack,  except he carried the blue ones as well. She poured it into his mouth and after a few seconds, he started to glow white again, his wounds healing rapidly. After a few more minutes he sat up and took out a wedge of cheese and broke a loaf of bread in half. "Don't worry. I'll be fine in another few minutes. One of the things ghosts can do if it touches you is damage or drain your fatigue,  your stamina. If it gets low enough you pass out, if that happens you usually end up dead. We got lucky since you damaged it pretty good before it went invisible, it let me hold out long enough to finish it before I passed out."  
  
He pulled out one of the small pouches he had received from Margarte and showed Shepard how to gather the ectoplasm from what was left of the ghost. "This one was more powerful than most of them since it was able to turn invisible. Not all of them can do that. Most of them will hang back and use ice magic. But ghosts like the one we just beat like to get in nice and close and use touch. Now let's go see what we found."  
  
As they worked their way around the room, Talen - Ai found another push stone. He let out a laugh and pointed to a large glowing white stone as they entered the room. "That right there just made this whole ruin worth it." He studied the cage the stone was trapped in. "Alright, let's go back to the main room and while I pick the lock on the big chest you check the pillars, look for a switch or something that might be a button. We need to find what activates this cage so we can get the Varla stone."  
  
"What's a Varla stone?" Shepard called out as she moved from pillar to pillar.  
  
"You know how I told you about how the Welkynd stones could regenerate my magicka? Well,  that Varla stone can do that for enchanted items. But, and here is why they are so valuable, even if they are a one time use, they will fully recharge all of the enchanted items you are carrying at one time. Each piece of armor, every weapon, and accessory. Everything,  no matter how many items you have on you or in your carry bag."  
  
He heard the click of the chest lock and pushed it open to reveal the contents. A small pouch contained several hundred coins. He found a cure disease and resist cold potion,  two scrolls, an enchanted ring of some sort, and a piece of alchemy equipment. He packed it all carefully then went to gather the three Welkynd stones surrounding the chest.

"Ah ha! I found it," Shepard called out and he hurried over to examine the switch on the side of a pillar.

"Okay, push it."  
  
They heard a click and looked around, they didn't see anything different in the regular room. Once back in the small room with the Varla stone they now saw the cage had been raised and Talen - Ai collected the white stone, securing it into the small lockbox in the bottom of his pack. The glitter from the silver comb reminding him he still needed to give it to her.  
  
"Ready to get out of here?" He asked her as they started back into the other area. He heard a laugh and hell yes from her. They found the small switch that opened the gate blocking their way when they first entered. The breeze blowing from the slightly opened entrance door was most welcoming.

 

* * *

  
  
They arrived back in town less than an hour before dawn, bone tired and dirty from their adventure. They had stopped long enough to gather a bear pelt and some rope from their wagon. He noted one of the traps had been set off and blood around the cart, nothing was taken so he reset the trap. He would be having a word with the stable master when he woke up later that morning.  
  
There was a woman behind the bar rather than the orc when they went to gather their sheets. She nodded and tried to flirt with Talen - Ai, who only grunted and grabbed the sheets, before walking away with a thank you. "Stay here I'll be right back." He grabbed up the water bucket and went back downstairs,  returning several minutes later with a bucket of water and a washing basin. She helped run the rope across the doorway tying it to the rafters,  then poured the water into the basin as he hung the pelt over the rope, giving them a door of sorts. They took turns to wash before making the beds. He sat on her bed behind her and showed her the small comb,  then asked if he could use it on her hair. She looked at him a few minutes before nodding. He gently combed her hair until it dried. "Good night, Shalaree. He ran his hand down her hair one last time before she fell asleep and he moved to his own bed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liberal use of creative license during the fights among other things.
> 
> Please excuse errors in spelling and grammar. If you see something that needs fixed let me know. No beta or proofreader. That doesn't include the poor grammar I used on purpose for the less educated bandits and thieves.

* * *

 

 

Talen - Ai woke after only a few hours of sleep and wondered why. He heard a light shuffling outside of the room,  the bear pelt still covered the doorway. He eased up out of bed and picked up his short sword from the floor beside him. He moved carefully to the other bed, placing a hand over Shalaree's mouth. "Shh, someone is in the hall, get up and grab your staff. No noise." His words barely above a whisper.  
  
They both took up positions in the middle of the room, she held the staff in a ready position as he signaled to wait. She tried not to look at him considering he was standing naked in the middle of the room holding a sword and she was only in her underwear.  
  
"You sure this is the room those two are in? They gots that cart full of stuff. But it's trapped and me brother lost a chunk 'outta his leg trying to get to it." A hushed voice came to them, the slurring of the words let them know that at least one of the people outside had to have liquid courage to come up to the top floor to try and steal from them. "Yeah, now shut yer yap before you wake 'em up. They probably got all the good stuff in there with 'em."  
  
Shepard and Talen - Ai stood still as statues and waited. Sure enough, a minute later the bearskin gave a slight wiggle and they heard a shuffling as someone started to come into the room. The silence was broken as the snap of the bear trap went off and a loud scream followed it. "Wot' the hell!", the other man let out a yell as Talen - Ai lit the fire in his hand and the light from it made it look like a demon was coming at the human. The man let out a terrified scream and tripped over the unconscious male that was still stuck in the trap and fled. They heard more yelling and thumping as the man in his haste must have tripped on the rickety stairs and ended up tumbling down the flight of them, coming to a crash at the bottom.  
  
Talen - Ai grunted then wrapped a towel around his waist before pushing on the trap release and dragging the other man out. Shepard followed and leaned out over the railing watching him toss the man off the second-floor landing. "I warned you. No trespassers." She let out a low laugh as the orc looked up at them after the man had broken one of the tables when he fell on it. Talen - Ai growled down at him,  his feathers ruffling, "the next ones that try it won't be so lucky." She let out another laugh and followed him back into the room. He grumbled then set about getting dressed for the day.  
  
"Might as well go to the magic shop and see if we can get some of what we found identified. I also need to go to see the stable master. There shouldn't have been anyone getting that close to the cart. We paid good coin to have it guarded." They finished getting dressed and made sure everything had been packed in their bags and the bearskin along with the trap and rope had been taken down. The orc launched into a round of apologies as Talen - Ai stomped down the last of the stairs,  argonian or not they had paid good coin in advance for their room and made no trouble for him. Talen - Ai huffed at him then headed for the door.  
  
The stable master was furious someone had tried to steal from something under his care. Talen - Ai described the men that had tried to sneak into the room and mentioned one of them had a brother who had been hurt in trying to access the cart. The man let out a string of expletives that had Shepard grinning. "It won't happen again. I know the one of whom you speak. He was under my employ, said he had hurt his leg while out hunting and stepped into a trap left by a careless hunter. I'll get my son to take over watching your cart at night." He had made good money from this argonian. He had paid the fee without trying to haggle much and gave a healthy bonus on top of it to keep an eye on that cart. If he was to leave and spread the word that his stable wasn't a safe spot he would lose out on future revenue,  especially if he went to the new stable that just opened on the other side of town.  
  
Talen - Ai nodded and took the stable master's word that it wouldn't occur again. Just in case he made sure to set up wire traps along it that would cut like a razor and would need to be attended to by a healer.  They got what they wanted from the cart, and reminded the master to inform his son to not get close to the cart.  
  
The alchemist was ecstatic to be shown the minotaur horns and paid a fair price along with a trade of potions for them. The troll fat and gallbladder from the Imp netted them a small cache of healing and stamina potions. The alchemist told them they were fresh out of mana potions but if he was willing to wait until the next morning he could stop by and pick them up. "Just leave the empty vials and partial payment," the alchemist said. After fishing out 10 of the empty crystal vials from the pouch and a handful of Septims they left.  
  
The general good store purchased the odds and ends they had picked up and the blacksmith took the large silver hammer from them after he cleaned more of the build-up from the weapon. The tiny Mage's Guild identified all of the trinkets they found. The rings were not worth keeping so they traded them for a few ward scrolls. Talen - Ai pulled Shepard off into a corner and let her know he was going to have his bow enchanted, after encountering the ghost and other beings he felt spending the coin on getting a good enchantment was necessary. She nodded after he explained to her the bow itself was enchanted not the arrows so they would still be able to retrieve most of them, and would cost them less in the long run than to try and find enough or buy quivers of enchanted arrows for both of them. So he asked the mage how much to enchant the bow with one second Soul Trap and Drain Health spells.

The mage looked up at him with a sly grin on his face. "I suppose you want that as close to having around a hundred charges as possible?"  
  
Talen - Ai looked down at the short mage, "don't get smart with me, mage. Answer my question or do you not have the skill to double enchant an item?" The grin was wiped from the mage's face and he snarled out a price that was almost twice as much as normal. Talen - Ai laughed and turned from him. "Come Shalaree,  let us go back to Leyawiin where the Mages Guild there would jump at the chance of helping us since you have been such a great help with giving them valuable information,  enough to fill tomes. We will also let them know the mages here try and cheat their customers."  
  
They were close to being at the exit when a female's voice came at them from another room. "I can enchant the items for you for the correct price. I have also notified the head mage of what had just transpired. If you are still interested please come with me to the enchanting room." They glanced at each other before following the petite elf. Inside the room was the enchanter's pedestal and an array of objects. "If you would be so kind, please let me see the item you wish enchanted." Talen - Ai took the bow from his back and laid it on the counter along with one of the filled petty soul gems from Shalaree's pack. The elf ran a hand over it and let out an hmm sound. "This is a fine bow,  unfortunately, the double enchant would not do well on it. It is made from the wood of an ancient tree in Black Marsh and is of fine make. But to hold a double enchant such as the one you are asking for it would need to be made of at least Dwarven or Elven metals... unless..." She looked up at him. "Unless you are willing to purchase a higher grade Soul Gem. I can use that gem to create both enchants on this bow and have it hold a much higher charge. You wouldn't be needing to recharge it as often or use so many smaller gems to do so. It is up to you."  
  
Talen - Ai looked at Shepard who only shrugged, she had no idea what was going on or what they were talking about. "How large of a gem are we talking? How many charges and what would be the cost?" The elf took a variety of gems from under the counter and the bow over to the pedestal and fiddled around. Shepard wandered over and peered at her. "A greater soul gem would net you 250 charges. This would cast the drain spell in one-second length and the soul trap in two-second lengths which for a bow is all you need and would not be wasteful. A common gem would garner you just under 100 charges. The prices for the soul gems are common at 150 Septims and the greater at 350. So total cost with the gem and enchanting would be 400 Septims for a common and 600 for the greater."  
  
Talen - Ai tapped his nails on the counter and figured the cost of what he wanted and what would be needed to survive on. With the way they have been making Septims lately and with the available ruins still around them, they would probably be able to make whatever he spent back before they left to travel to the Imperial City. "Alright, we'll go with the greater gem. And add to the cost, four of the empty common gems and a dozen of the petty and lesser ones as well."  
  
Shepard scratched her head and watched as Talen - Ai reached into his bag and shuffled the contents around before pulling out a pouch and started to count out the coins. The pile grew larger and she started to frown. She still had several hundred coins in her own pack so she knew they weren't completely broke but that bag of coins had started to look awfully empty by the time he was done. After the elf had gathered them up and stashed them away she handed him a pouch with the empty gems in them and took the bow back over to the pedestal.  
  
Shepard tugged on Talen - Ai's arm and led him over to the corner, "that was an awful lot of money that just went flying out of the money bag."

He nodded, "I know. But factor in the cost of how much the recharge is on your staff alone, and hope we can find enough filled gems to keep it charged. Now that bow of mine will also be able to fill any empty ones we come across as long as they are the right size. It will also help to make things easier to kill and it is one step closer to being able to fill the request for ectoplasm. We can trap the soul along with getting the ingredient. Plus we have a myriad amount of precious gems still in our possession. We have money and goods to sell to make more. We just need to make sure to keep a hefty amount of empty gems in our possession; which are a lot less expensive than the filled ones are."  
  
"Alright, but we need to get on the road and backtrack to some of those other ruins to make some of our money back."  
  
He nodded down at her and cupped her face, "don't worry, Shalaree. I will do my best to take care of you. I promise. I will do whatever it takes to give you what you want."  
  
"All I want is to make sure we have enough money so we don't have to pawn my clothes and have to run around bare ass naked in this strange place again."  
  
He gave a laugh, "don't worry, that isn't going to happen. At least not outside our home. When you were naked inside my hut it was a real treat and I wouldn't mind seeing you do it again." She gaped at him and slapped his shoulder causing him to give out a laughing grunt. They turned when they heard the elf clear her throat. The bow was laid out on the counter,  the purple glow was clear from where they were standing. There was no doubt in his mind that it held the magic he had asked for. The bow practically hummed with it when he picked it up. True it wasn't the most powerful enchants in Tamriel,  but for their needs it was perfect.  
  
"When you need more gems or would like us to recharge it come on back. The flat fee is one Septim per charge," the elf said to them as she placed the small pouch of dust from the destroyed soul gem into a small container. They thanked her and left the guild hall.  
  
They were working their way back to the entrance of the town when Talen - Ai overheard a conversation between an argonian and a human. Apparently, there were fugitives on the loose. Moving them into the shadows of a nearby building he continued to eavesdrop. They had escaped from the castle dungeons and had a decent reward for them,  but the bounty had yet to be collected. Talen - Ai changed direction, dragging Shepard behind him and found a small niche behind a low wall where several of the castle guards were milling about deciding who was to go after the escapees. One of them suggested they just go to the Fighter's guild in Leyawiin and set a contract. Another argued to get the Blackwood company involved, they would be cheaper. This started a small ruckus and one of the higher ranked guards warned them to stop or face having latrine digging duty for a month.  
  
"Now the way I see it if we send in several guards here at the front of the Bloodmayne cave and several more stationed here near the river we have a shot at getting the four of them. Either inside or if they try to run for it. We'll need to cross the river here at the bridge to the North, and circle back down since the entrance is on the other side of the river. The Captain said they were to be killed, they had already been slated for execution anyway so don't need to bother trying to keep them alive for another trial. I'll assign posts and gather a couple more guards in the morning. Be ready."

One of the guards spoke up as the other one started to roll up the map, "what about the bounty the Castle put out? You know they won't let us collect it even if we are the ones that finished them off."

The one rolling up the map let out a snort, "that's what my cousin is for, you dolt. He'll go in, collect the reward and we split it up."  
  
Talen - Ai had heard enough and he hurried them from their spot. When they drew near the archery shop they stopped and he pulled out his map. His eyes scanned the area, "okay, across the bridge and circle back down, a cave on the other side." He tapped a small mark, "here,  it has to be this one. I passed by this on the way down here from Skyrim. I didn't know the name of it only marked it down for future reference. If the fugitives are inside I'll update it with the name."  
  
"So I take it we are going looking for these guys?" Shepard leaned against the weathered boards of the building.

Talen - Ai rolled up his map and stuffed it back in his bag. "Yes,  and we leave right now. You think I'm going to let a bounty get away? Plus, it will get back some of the coin I spent earlier." He gave her a toothy grin and grabbed her hand before running toward the exit and the road that led to the northern bridge.  
  
They stopped in at the stable and Talen - Ai spoke with the owner for a few minutes, the stable master was thrilled to take the handful of coins in exchange for the use of a small cart. Talen - Ai hooked up their horse and they headed for the bridge.

 

* * *

  
  
Hiding the animal near an outcropping of rocks they moved cautiously toward the entrance. He stopped Shalaree and rooted in her bag drawing out her bow and putting his own in there. She gave him a questioning look. "Can't trap human souls and it would waste the charges. The only way to trap those is to have special black gems or well... I have heard of an artifact,  but it's probably just a myth. I'll tell you about it later." He quickly strung up the bow and they headed for the cave opening.  
  
Once inside the cave they stopped and let their eyes begin to adjust, they moved away from the entrance a bit at a time until they heard a noise in the area in front of them. The familiar-sounding snuffle of a bear came from the darkness ahead of them and Talen - Ai readied the bow. A young black bear came into view and Talen - Ai swiftly nocked the arrow and let it fly. They stopped long enough to retrieve the arrow and he quickly butchered the animal,  packing as much of the meat into prepared bags as he could along with the pelt. As the bear was still young the fur was soft and it would make a good blanket for them when the weather turned colder, once it was properly cured.  
  
The room opened up and Talen - Ai stayed near the wall working his way around, Shepard followed right behind him. A little way into the room they came across a couple of bedrolls that looked like the bear had pawed at them. They started to move again when a squeaking sound was heard, Talen - Ai grimaced and kicked the rat that had just run from the corner sending it flying into a wall with a thud. "I hate those damn diseased things. Wait here a minute. I'll be right back." He jogged back toward the entrance and returned a few minutes later. "Unloaded the bear meat into the barrel we had on the cart. That's 300 pounds less I am carting around." They finished looking over the room only finding a small chest with a single Septim stuck in the corner and a broken lockpick.  
  
They continued forward finally coming to a small room, and Talen - Ai let out a hiss. From the ceiling were hanging several ropes and the hissing noises coming from the area near them told the pair that gas traps were there. "What the hell? Are you sure this is the right cave? There aren't any doors and we didn't pass any openings on the way here." Shepard peered into the room and didn't spot a way to go further. What she did see was a large dead rat in the center of where the gas traps must be.  
  
"This has to be it. There are no other caves here. I'm sure of it."  
  
The room wasn't all that large, they could see the opposite wall from where they stood. "There has to be something here." Talen - Ai hugged the wall and moved toward the hanging ropes, Shepard was right behind him. "What in Oblivion are these ropes for?" he muttered to himself. Peering up towards the ceiling he couldn't see any pulleys or other mechanisms, the ropes just disappeared into the rock. He reached for the closest one and before Shepard could say a word gave a tug on it. Nothing happened. "Huh."  
  
"What the hell do you mean, 'huh'? Stop pulling on those things before you bring the ceiling down on us," Shepard hissed out.  
  
"Hmm. I wonder... here when I tell you to pull on it, pull on it. Hard." Talen - Ai shoved one of the other ropes toward her and moved to the last of them.

"I will not. What if this whole room falls down or something?"

Talen - Ai shook his head, "just pull on the damn rope when I tell you."  
  
"I swear if that wall comes down and kills me I am going to haunt you for eternity, Talen - Ai." Shepard grimaced and grabbed the rope.

"Pull it now!" he said loudly and she yanked on the rope. The hissing stopped and he yelled at her to run to the other side of the room then yanked his own rope. A hidden door slid open on the one rock wall and he took off running to catch up to her before the gas traps started again.  
  
They leaned against the wall and Shepard hit him,  hard. "That was a crazy thing to do. What if it had been another trap?" He rubbed his chest where she had smacked him then bent down to open the battered chest that was shoved in the corner.

"It would have been a waste to have another trap in that same room. The only odd things I could see were those ropes, they had to be the key to keep going. No one would just put up that sort of trap for a dead end room with nothing there." He emptied the chest of the handful of Septims and the single heal potion. This bounty better be worth it, so far the best thing they had found was the bearskin.  
  
They moved forward down the passageway and it opened up into a very large room. A fire was going at the opposite end and they noticed the human male standing there with a wolf staring at them. There was no way to sneak up on them as they had been alerted when the door had opened.  
  
"You'd best just turn around and leave. I'm not going back to prison," the male's voice came to them as they walked further into the room.

"We aren't here to take you back," It was all Talen - Ai said before he launched a spout of flame toward the wolf. Shepard used her staff to hurtle flaming embers and burning logs toward the man who had drawn his weapon and came charging toward them. She shifted her focus to the animal as Talen - Ai moved to meet the human's sword. When the fight was over Talen - Ai leaned against the wall and bandaged his wounds after applying the antiseptic salve. He didn't want to waste potions when they still had three more people to hunt down and who knew how many more creatures.  
  
"Strip him down, Shalaree. That gear is stolen but it's elven and is worth some money. I'll gather the mushrooms and stalks from in the room then we can get to work on those chests." He limped over to a cluster of Cairn Bolete and started to harvest the mushroom caps. Shepard removed the armor and kept an eye on Talen - Ai,  he had taken a sword thrust to his thigh and didn't bother healing himself yet. When she was done she went over to him, "we'll dry these for ourselves. One of the older women from the small village I grew up in, told us that these can be used to make healing potions, even the beginners could make the weakest ones from them. It will be a good place to start learning about alchemy if you are interested." She noticed his hands shake and she frowned. He cursed when he cut the stalks wrong and rendered them unusable.  
  
"You need to heal,  Talen - Ai." Shepard took him by the arm and sat him on the hunk of wood that must have been used for a seat.

He shook his head. "Until we can get back to town and that alchemist can supply those mana potions I don't want to use up my magic unless it is necessary. And this place isn't very forthcoming with treasure, the potions we have, we need to use wisely until we are sure we can replace them."  
  
She shook her head and reached into her pack for a small potion. "We found one,  we can use one. You won't be any good to us if you are too injured to fight. And we did get a good many of them earlier from trading. Maybe we'll get lucky and these bastards will have a few of them." After pushing the bottle at his mouth he opened and swallowed it. The relief he felt was almost instant and he gave a sigh. She wrapped the bottle and stuffed it in her pack then they headed over to the chests. They were being used for personal junk apparently. A few minor potions that were useless to them as neither one needed to breathe underwater. Talen - Ai could do it naturally and since Shepard had her ring she could do it as well. Some of the other ones he didn't know what they were, so they packed them up separately then headed for the hallway leading to the next room.  
  
They continued on, killing a few more creatures, finding a few chests that held mostly worthless items. Finally, they entered another large room this one had flickering torches on the walls and it made Talen - Ai nervous. They moved into the room and he heard a muffled, "shit" from Shepard as she noticed the giant chasm in the room. He pointed to the small planks that were laid across it and Shepard started to shake her head and back away. "Oh hell no, those things look as rickety as the stairs in the Inn, and you expect me to walk across them?"

He gave out a huff and moved toward the planks. She hissed at him to get the hell away from them but he ignored her and edged his way onto the boards. He started across, using his arms and tail for balance until he made it to the other side and stood there waiting. "Oh for crying out loud." She muttered to him, hissing cuss words the entire way across the boards until she reached the other side. He opened the chest and they moved toward the small corridor. They froze when they heard a cough. They moved a bit more cautiously and came upon an open room. There was a woman standing in the opening leading past the room and didn't move from there when she could have been in the larger room, maybe like that other one and had a fire going. Yet as they stood there and watched, she didn't come into the room at all.  
  
Talen - Ai's feathers started to ruffle, he didn't like that at all. He backed them down the hallway.

"Why wasn't she moving? She just leaned on that wall the entire time or squatted down instead of coming in there to sit or lay down." She hissed at him and he shook his head.

"Don't know, but I bet there is a good reason she didn't come past that entryway."  
  
Talen - Ai took the bow and removed one of the arrows from his quiver. Moving to the very edge of the darkened entry he nocked it and let it fly. She hissed as he missed the woman and hit the wall beside her ... he rarely missed and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to draw another. The woman, on the other hand, drew her weapon and came charging into the room. Promptly being crushed by the giant log that came hurtling out of the hidden alcove.  
  
"Holy shit."  
  
Talen - Ai glanced down and gave a nod, "at least now we know why she didn't come into the room until she got spooked." They moved slowly into the room looking for other traps but finding none. They removed the armor,  at least the pieces that were still usable. They moved into the next area killed the rat that had skittered toward them and into the shadowed entryway. Two down,  two more to find.

 

* * *

  
  
The large room they came upon had another wolf come running at them, they quickly dispatched it then started to move forward. Talen - Ai grunted as an arrow appeared in his shoulder and he pushed Shepard to the side. "What the hell?" Another arrow came from nowhere and they ran to the small shadowed alcove near the entry. Shepard helped Talen - Ai to break the shaft and push it through. The entire time he was grumbling about being shot in the same shoulder and it was pissing him off.  
  
"The bastard is up above us, shooting at us from a hole in the ceiling." He used a bit of his magic to heal himself, "he's got a clear view of the center of the room,  so we need to stick to the shadows and along the walls. There has to be a passage to get up there." They moved in a clockwise pattern,  coming to an opening in the southern wall.  They entered and followed it around. The red argonian was squatting down peering through the hole and Shepard used her staff to throw a large rock at him knocking him off balance and going head first down into the bottom of the cave. He landed with a sickening crunch. They searched the room and headed back the way they came, stripping down the argonian and moving toward the other opening in the western wall.

They only encountered one more animal which they easily dispatched before they noticed a bright light coming from the end of the hallway. At first, they thought it was the exit and somehow they missed the last of the fugitives, then as they got closer they saw it was a giant bonfire instead. The outline of a person was near it, so Talen - Ai drew his bow and let loose with an arrow. The tall figure dodged to the side and Shepard was hit with blast of cold that left her shaken. She used her staff to move the burning logs once again and Talen - Ai kept firing arrows at the mage. Finally, an arrow hit a vital area and the mage went down. Shepard practically crawled to where the fire was, her teeth chattering and her whole body shaking. "I am beginning to hate mages."  
  
He left her sitting there while he gathered plants, stripped the body, and opened the chest. He found a few good things. He slipped the coins, potions and the spell book into his pouch and went over to sit beside her. It was close to an hour later when her teeth stopped chattering and she said she was ready to go.  
  
"Alright,  use your staff to move the body out the door, we'll need to load them up into the cart and haul them to town to get the reward. The guards won't be able to collect the bounty themselves if we present the bodies straight to the steward. She let out an ugh then lifted the body walking while pushing it toward the entrance. Then went back to get the other ones. He moved the cart and they tossed them in.  
  
The sun was close to setting as they pulled the small cart into the stable and Talen - Ai went to collect the reward. The steward had sent a guard with him and because the stable hands and master was waiting there too, he had no choice but to mark the paper and hand it back. A nice fat reward was collected and they helped to unload the bodies from the stable's cart before heading back to their room for the night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the new chapter. Will be moving the story along at a quicker clip soon.

* * *

 

 

The next morning Talen - Ai dragged Shepard out of bed just after dawn and kept shaking her to keep her from falling back to sleep while they dressed and ate some food. Once they were done he hurried her down the rickety stairs and out the front of the Inn. "What are you doing? Where the hell are we going at this ungodly hour of the morning?"  
  
"Practice. You still are horrible with the bow and you need more practice." He told her as they jumped over one of the many puddles in the street while they headed for the gate of the town.  
  
Once set up he let her shoot for a while as he laid back on a deer hide and watched. About halfway through her quiver, she started to rub her shoulder and he told her to stop. She flopped down on the hide beside him and he moved to behind her and started to massage her shoulder,  working his way down her arm and back up again. She let out a sigh and didn't notice him looking around. She slapped his hand when he started to lift her leather cuirass up.  
  
"What are you doing?" She looked back over her shoulder at him.

He started to lift it up again and told her that he could apply a warming balm to her shoulder so that it would help but he needed to take off her shirt, "don't worry, no one can see."  
  
She let out a snort, "yeah right. I heard that one before Talen - Ai,  then all of a sudden a band of mercs would pop out or one of my crew members would come stumbling up while I'm bare ass naked. Not gonna happen."  
  
"You don't have a crew here and I would hear anyone coming. This will help, I promise." He kept slipping his hand up under her shirt while the other one reached into his pack and rooted around until he brought out a small jar and placed it on the hide beside them.  
  
"What the hell has gotten into you all of a sudden?" She batted at his hand again and he thumped his tail on the hide in agitation."You've gotten awfully handsy today. More so than usual. First, the groping when I was trying to get dressed and don't think I didn't feel your hand on my ass when I bent down to grab my boot from under the bed. And now all of a sudden trying to get me topless so you can put goop on my shoulder."  
  
He gave her a perplexed look and tipped his head, though his hand was still inching its way up her shirt. "I don't know what goop means. But the balm is in that jar when applied to an area of skin or in my case hide, will warm up and relieve soreness and muscle aches. All I'm trying to do is help."  
  
Shepard hesitated, she was still trying to figure out all the nuances of facial expressions for the argonian and he was giving her such an innocent look that she knew he was up to something. "What the hell are you up to?"  
  
"I'm not up to anything." He tugged on the shirt again, "honestly. All I want is to put this balm on your shoulder. Once it gets to work and your pain eases we can eat then you can go back to practice. I want to be on the road from this pest hole in another day. Imperial City awaits. As does more adventures." She narrowed her eyes at him and reached to loosen the straps and buckles from around her, easing the leather shirt up. She tried not to let out a groan when her shoulder muscle gave a twinge. She felt him moving around behind her as her head was covered with her shirt. When it was finally off,  he quickly turned her away from him as he reached for the jar.    
  
Another quick scan of the surroundings then settled her between his outstretched legs. She jumped the first time he placed his hand on her,  even though she knew it was coming and had grown used to his usual morning habit of touching almost every part of her body as she stood like a still asleep doll he was dressing.  "Relax. This won't do any good if you don't try and ease your shoulders up a little." His voice was whispered next to her ear, the smooth deep tones causing a slight tingling sensation to go down her spine.  
  
His hand once again started to massage her sore shoulder, it was now coated with whatever substance was in the jar. "That's it, Shalaree. Close your eyes and relax, let the warmth from this balm soothe you." After a few minutes she could feel her shoulder becoming warm, not hot, but a nice warmth. She let out a sigh and relaxed a bit more,  she felt him shift her body a little,  then she felt the cool scales of his chest against her back as he settled her back against him. That sneaky bastard had taken off his leather and bone shirt when she was struggling with her own.  
  
"You're such a bastard," she sighed out, feeling too relaxed to even reach over to slap his leg. He let out a small chuckle and continued to massage her shoulder a few minutes more before wrapping his arms around her. "I knew you were up to something."  
  
He rubbed his face into her hair careful to not hurt her with his horns before he let out another chuckle. "You are to be my wife, Shalaree, yet I have not been able to hold you as one. I had to think of something. Can't blame a male for enjoying the feel of his woman in his arms,  the way her body feels under his hands." He nuzzled her again and tightened his hold on her.  
  
"There are a few places I would like for us to backtrack too before heading north. I know you want to go and check them all out but, with the limited space we have, we may not be able to. We'll sell the rest of what we can here tonight then leave at first light. I looked at the map again after you fell asleep last night and no more than four hours to the south of us is two ruins, another Ayleid ruin, and a small campsite. They are all lumped in there within a short distance from each other. Hopefully, we can find a few good things before turning the cart around and heading north."  
  
"What are you planning to do once we get to this Imperial City?" Shepard was still relaxed and laying back against him, it felt wonderful being in another's arms once again. Even if those scaled arms didn't have quite the same feel to them of her past lover. She felt his plated thumbs stroke her belly before he answered.

"It depends on what you want to do. I was thinking of finding us a small house and applying for a stall license. We could get a fair price for our goods and give us a safe place to sleep and store our stuff. I can hunt and gather the fish from the waters there to supplement our food supplies and to sell."  
  
"So you want to settle down there?" Shepard wiggled a little, not sure if she wanted to do that yet. She had yet to see this new homeworld of hers, well other than the small piece of it over the last few months.

"We don't need to settle there permanently, Shalaree. But it will give us time for you to learn more to survive this world, give me time to teach you to fight with something other than that staff's spell, you'll be able to practice with the bow while I am in town. At least until you come to a better understanding of this world's economy. There are plenty of caves and ruins to explore around there as well. It would be nice to be able to come back to a place we knew was safe and we could rest better there."  
  
She looked out over the mist covered clearing they were sitting in and thought about it. Having a safe place to return to during their adventures did sound nice, a bit like having the Normandy back. "Alright. We can give it a go." He hugged her to him and she slapped him again when his hand wandered from her belly up to her breast.

* * *

  
  
After she gathered up the arrows from the target and surrounding area they headed back to town. They took with them everything they could comfortably carry and had no use for to the shops and spent the rest of the day selling it. What was left they dragged back to the Inn with them and told the orc they would be leaving in the morning and would drop their linens off then. Talen - Ai made sure no one was on the top floor then set about counting out the Septims they had made adding them to the coin pouch in his pack. He now knew what could be comfortably spent on a home once they reached the City. It wasn't much but the Imperial City was huge,  there had to be something in their price range.

 

* * *

  
  
He unfurled his map and used some of the items in the room to hold it open and he pointed out where they would be headed in the morning. "Okay,  this one is called Fathis Aren's Tower, I couldn't get much information on it so not sure what to expect. Then there are the Bawn ruins and just north of it is the Bawnwatch campsite. Finally to the south-east is Fort Irony." He cleared his throat and turned a bit darker green on his face. "I ... uh ... had promised someone I'd pick up a few things from inside of there and a couple of other places when I stopped at an Inn outside of Imperial City on my way back down from Skyrim. So ... um,  after we find what we need from there we can head up to the City. A few stops on the way. At some point, I'll need to go across the Niben Bay. There is another place that she...err... asked me to check for an item."  
  
Shepard raised her eyebrow at him and he only cleared his throat again before looking back down at the map then scratching the back of his neck. He pointed at another mark across the river and tapped on it. "We can catch a ferry from the Bravil docks on the way back, cross the river and work our way up to it. Stopping at these caves and other ruins along the major road then cutting across to the Fort. Once we are done, head back to the road and head north it will take us to the City, making a few needed stops along the way. There are a few known campsites and a settlement or two along the way as well."  
  
She rubbed her cheek and looked where he was pointing things out on the map. "How long do you estimate this will take us to actually make it to the City?" She looked up at him as he gave a shrug and she felt him swing his tail into her gently.

"A few months. Maybe longer depending on which direction we go in and how many places we stop at. I want to also hunt more if time permits. We may not need them in this warmer climate but if ever we decide to go a bit further north or camp out the pelts and furs will come in handy for bedding."  
  
"Alright,  you know the way, so I'll follow. Is there any other "errands" to run that I should know about?" She turned toward him and crossed her arms under her breasts and stared at him.

He quickly moved the items from on top of the map and rolled it up. "Uh ... no. I don't think so. That was the last Inn I rested at before finishing my journey back to Black Marsh to wait."  
  
"I see. How long were you in Black Marsh before I showed up on that beach?" She followed him over to their pile of bags and watched as he started to separate the items out and repack them in a more organized manner. It was a habit he seemed to have when he was nervous or extremely agitated.

"Let me think. It took me about a month to build the hut and find the furniture I had in it, another couple of weeks to fully scout the area and gather information about the closest Hist tree. That was after the two months it took to make it back down from Skyrim." He sat back on his heels and tapped his fingers on his thigh. "Hmm,  about six months, give or take a week or so."  
  
"Six ... months?" She sat on the bed nearest him. It had been almost six months to the day between the time that Thane had drawn his last breath and when she fired those shots into the Crucible control. Had this been planned for her since the very moment her body fell into battle sleep?

_It is so, my child, the Creator of All had been watching from the beginning and waiting. The pain you felt at your lover's loss was so profound that it called to the other forms across the dimensions. The Hist was called upon and we responded as did Talen - Ai when he was called upon. As will you when you are called upon. This is the way of the Hist and of its people._

Shepard gave a jump and looked around when the voice came to her. Talen - Ai cocked his head and looked at her. "Did you just hear ...?" She shook her head and sat back down on the bed.

 

* * *

  
  
They were on the road heading south just as the sky began to lighten, Shepard was currently propped up against Talen - Ai,  snoozing as he held the reins in one hand and his other arm wrapped around her so she wouldn't fall from the cart. He made a mental note to take her to a priest when they reached Imperial City to see if there was a curable cause for her to be unable to come fully awake in the mornings. Not that he minded the way she curled against him or ignored him when he took the opportunity to run his hands over her body to dress her while she was in that state. But if he had to leave her on her own for days she had to be able to wake up to defend herself quicker than this.  
  
They were about an hour from the first ruin when she came awake and stretched while yawning. She went back to snuggling against Talen - Ai while trying to see where they were in the thick morning mist that seemed to always be present in this area."We are almost at the tower, Shalaree. We made good time this morning." She rubbed her face against the leather covered scales and let out a sigh before sitting upright. "We should be able to see the tower any time now."  
  
When the tower came into view she was rather unimpressed. It was indeed in bad shape and rather small to be a tower but hopefully, it would contain a few good things. They got down after parking the cart nearby and setting the brake. Talen - Ai had his sword drawn as he approached the door, a worried expression on his face. "This doesn't look right." He ran his hand over the solid wooden door and the slightly dull metal of the lock. "This has been changed. The door new and solid, the lock is the kind that can't be picked. The design specifically made to be opened by only one key."  
  
"So that means what? That we can't get in? And who would put that kinda lock on this dump?" She asked him as he straightened back up and started to walk around the outside of the tower. When they made it back around to the front he turned to her.

"Without the key, there isn't a way into here unless there is an unknown passage. I would rather not waste more time trying to search for something that may not even exist or be nearby." She nodded and they made their way back to the cart where he took out the map and made a few notations on the back.

 

* * *

  
  
After killing the wolf they found lingering near the path heading up to Fort Irony and letting Talen - Ai skin and butcher it while she wandered around looking at the various plants, they led the horse and cart up a little way further, hiding it in the overgrowth nearby. "Talen - Ai, what just happened when you killed that wolf,  I could have sworn I saw a purple swirling light enter your bag."  
  
He gave her a toothy grin, "that my dear Shalaree, was what was called a soul capture. When the beast died its essence was sent into a corresponding gem that is in my bag, probably one of the petty ones. Don't give me that look. When it is used to recharge the weapon the gem shatters and it's released,  used to magically recharge or create the weapons. I know what is going through your mind. There is a reason why souls of man and beastfolk can't be captured in these gems. It takes a very powerful and very dark gem to do that. It would also take an extreme circumstance for me to use one of those."  
  
She stared at him and gripped her glowing staff, she knew it would be necessary to capture them and she swallowed before nodding. She still had so much to learn about this strange world.

 

* * *

  
  
Talen - Ai was trying to show her how to harvest some of the plants,  there was an abundance right outside of the Fort and since the trip to the other place didn't really take that much time he thought he would try. After showing her how to carefully cut the Dragon's Tongue flower so that it could be preserved for the alchemist or made into a very strong tasting tea later when combined with a few other ingredients, he moved to the more delicate gathering of Bergamot seeds. "How are you doing over there,  having any luck?"  
  
Her voice came back with a bit of frustration in it, "yeah ...kinda ... sorta ... well,  no." She walked over and held out a mangled flower with a drooping head and he watched as a petal dropped from it. "You have to be more gentle with gathering it, Shalaree. It's not a monster you have to strangle before looting it." She let out a frustrated sigh at his words and dropped the ruined flower on the ground before stomping back over to try again. Once he was done gathering the seeds and securing them in his pack along with getting the rest of the harvestable items, he walked over to her,  trying his hardest to keep the laughter from his voice and the grin from his face at the pile of ruined flowers at her feet and the death grip she had on the small knife she was using to try and gather the flower with.

"That's enough for today,  Shalaree. Maybe when we get ourselves a small home we can grow herbs you can practice on,  even damaged they can still be used to cook with instead of being dried for later use. You'll learn and improve just as you are doing with learning the other ways here."  
  
She let out a small growl as she wrapped the knife in the small piece of leather before tucking it into her bag and stared at the pile of useless flowers she had mangled. He took her by the hand and led her toward the entrance of the small ruined fort. They stopped as they noticed the spike driven into the ground with what looked like a human skull adorning it. Talen - Ai let out a groan and looked toward her. "Goblins most likely. Pests. Though they are more intelligent than the rest of the creatures around here with what looks like a rudimentary societal system. They live in packs so it's likely we'll have a fight on our hands. So be prepared."  The door looked to have been shoddily repaired so they took out their weapons after he quickly shoved the door open and stepped into the dark area.

 

* * *

  
  
They slowly worked their way through the small fort, killing the nasty goblins and their rats. Shepard let out an eww noise and almost gagged when she ran across what seemed to be the kitchen area. The goblin that was doing the cooking was roasting one of the rats, that seemed to be used by them as domesticated food animals, on a spit. He was using the crude handle on the pole and slowly turning the rat so it didn't burn. The goblin started yelling and grabbed up what seemed to be a cleaver made of stone and wood and rushed toward them. He was met by the solid "thwack" of Shepard's staff meeting his skull and sent him flying into several barrels and sacks.  
  
They took a few minutes to look around, Shepard commenting on the difference between the carefully made barrels and the shoddy tables and other items. Talen - Ai told her that goblins were notorious for raiding homesteads and secluded farms. After they were finished they moved on and came to a room with openings on either end. He made a mark and they traveled to the right which he usually did. Several more goblins and various rats and even a mudcrab was run into as they wandered through the area. Finally, they came to where the head goblin for this little group made his home. Several chests were beside a pitched crude tent and he seemed to have several other "luxuries" that none of the others had.  
  
Several arrows,  a flying rock and a solid hit from Shepard's staff felled the creature. Shepard tried not to frown as once again the purple light swirled around it before heading for Talen - Ai's pouch. They went through all of the barrels and chests that were scattered in the room, he finally let out a sigh as the last chest was opened and he drew out what looked like two bottles of wine. "I take it those bottles are what we came for?"  
  
Her voice came from almost directly behind him and he almost dropped the precious bottles before wrapping them well in leather and placing them in his pack. "Yes. The innkeeper of the Wawnet Inn, right outside of the Imperial City, is a collector. She ... um, traded a few nights at the inn for a promise to get these for her. She wants six of these extremely rare vintage wines."  
  
"I'm sure that wasn't the only thing traded for those nights there." Shepard looked at him and he didn't meet her eyes. He stood up and finally looked at her.

"I told you it was the last stop. We are together now and there won't be a need for those types of arrangements anymore." She stared up into his green eyes and he calmly waited for her to acknowledge what he had said. When she gave a slight nod he returned it then leaned into her,  nuzzling her head and whispered "I'm sorry" to her before they headed back out of the ruins and into the open.  
  
The sun had long since set as they were inside and they were met by the sight of a ghost standing there staring out to the East over the bay and a rather large human male near him wearing a heavy set of armor with a rather big sword on his back. After a quick,  tense assessment of each other, the man nodded to them before drinking from a round blue bottle and walked across the water, heading in the same direction the ghost was still looking toward.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know it is a new chapter so soon after the last. But this just wouldn't let me be until I had it written down.
> 
> Hopefully, this will give the little niggling sensation that has been bothering me about the Inn from the last chapter a bit of closure.
> 
> Now ... a word of warning, lol, I will be starting to use even more items that are not in the game normally. If you haven't played the Elder Scrolls games or only have access to them from console systems then you probably won't understand some of the things. But I have it on my PC and I am one of those people that mod the hell out of a game -.-' so I will do my best to explain the things and put it into the story as seamless as I can. If anytime you are unsure of something or want me to expand on it some more just let me know. As many of you probably have figured out, I use survival mods ... a lot. The food, bedrolls, tents etc ... come from it. It brings a lot of immersion into the game and I'm trying to bring it to this story.
> 
> Enjoy and thank you to everyone for your continued support.

* * *

 

 

A little over an hour later Talen - Ai pulled the cart into the small campsite after scouting the area.  He had found several people dead, their bodies barely looted, they still had their armors and weapons but no gems or gold. There looked to have been quite a large scuffle and from the sacks off to the side filled with what looked like a mish-mash of goods along with odds and ends he assumed they were bandits. From the looks of them it had been the huge Imperial with the two-handed sword that cleared the camp.  
  
He took a few minutes to strip the bodies and drag them to the nearby river, dumping them in so Shalaree wouldn't have to deal with seeing them after everything that had happened.  
  
He kept berating himself for being stupid and making that promise all those months ago. He knew he had been matched, and yet he still did it. And he had the gall to question her about wanting to find a warm body instead of his cool one, when he had actually broke the pact. He shook his head knowing it was silly, they hadn't even met yet,  but he knew ... he knew and did it anyway. Maybe the Hist was wrong in pairing them together.  
  
_"We are not wrong, Talen - Ai. Mistakes are part of growth. Part of learning. We know this. We have witnessed it through the ages. The Hist has made mistakes before,  but in this we have not. Let this go,  but do not forget the lesson. That memory will help you to not make the same mistake again."_  
  
Talen - Ai looked over at Shalaree,  she was using a long stick to poke at the bedrolls laying under makeshift tents left by the ones that had been there before. "Where did all this stuff come from?" He told her about what he had found then showed her the pile of stuff he had taken from the already dead bandits and the sacks. She started to look through those as he took down the small crate holding their camp cooking equipment.  
  
She became curious as he reached into his bag pulling out several pouches and sprinkling powders over the tinder he had placed in the fire pit. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Since we are out in a well known campsite and haven't any real screening from the light of a fire, I am doing something an old hunter showed me as I shared his camp years ago. He called it Dark Fire." He bent down using the tiniest amount of flame from his hand he could then he ignited the tinder. She didn't see anything happening but could hear the crackle of something catching on fire. She watched as he carefully added more wood to the fire and she started to feel the heat coming from it but couldn't see any flames. "The powder I added causes the flames to turn from normal fire to one that puts out no visible light but the same amount of heat a normal fire does. It will keep us hidden from those that are drawn by firelight and still allow us to cook and stay warm. Although this fire will only last three hours and not through the night."  
  
"Nice. That's a damn useful thing to know. Maybe you can teach me sometime." She walked over and sat on one of the long logs near the fire that looked to have been laying there for ages. The stew he made from the salted bear meat they had kept along with a few vegetables and roots smelled good when it was finally done. They sat quietly and ate before Talen - Ai went to turn in as was the habit they had set after seeing that she took so long to wake up most of the time. He had just crawled under the makeshift shelter when he heard her apologize for what she had said earlier. His tail thumped against the ground and he told her it wasn't necessary and she needn't worry about anything like that happening again. The camp grew quiet and he slowly fell asleep.  
  
Several hours later, he woke to the touch of her hand on his arm. She laid down with a yawn as he exited the tent and began to check the area almost stumbling over the corpse of a rather large mudcrab that must have wondered into the camp and met with Shalaree's staff. He grinned as he remembered when she had first came there and screamed at the sight of a spider and giant swamp rats. Now here she was guarding the camp and killing creatures that came too close. He took what he could from the crab then dragged it down to the river. The sun would be close to rising in four hours,  he thought it would be enough time for her to get some sleep before they headed down to the ruins. He hoped that man hadn't looted that as well.

 

* * *

  
  
An hour before dawn he started shaking Shalaree awake, finally getting her up and shoving some bread and cheese in her hand. "Damn it,  I need coffee if you're gonna keep waking me up like this." He looked at her as he gathered up the one bedroll they had used and shoved it in the back of the cart.

"What's coffee?" After she explained what it was he helped her up on the cart. "We don't have anything like that, but we do have tea. We can ask one of the alchemists what herbs can give the same boost and can be brewed into a tea, maybe that will help. Later though, not now. Now we are heading for Bawn, another Ayleid ruin that I heard was pretty large so we are going to probably be there all day, maybe longer. So pack your survival bag with what you think you'll need along with food and one of the extra waterskins."  
  
After they arrived he noted the plethora of plants outside and told her he would get them later. As they approached the entrance they were attacked by two wolves and they easily took them down, garnering two more filled soul gems in Talen - Ai pouch. He stretched the wolf skins on poles he had added to the side of the cart and scraped them while he waited for the morning mist to lessen so they could see where the door was and not stumble into any traps left for the unwary traveler. He rubbed a substance from a jar into the hides as Shepard looked on with a slight tinge of green on her face. She still wasn't used to having to do that, she just wanted to be able to buy everything in nice neat packages from the store.  
  
When he was done and his hands cleaned, because he got tired of hearing her bitch about the smell from the curing solution, he readied his bow and moved to the door. She pushed the button and they went inside.  
  
The place had a damp musty odor to it as if no fresh air had been let in for a very long time. "This is good, Shalaree, it means no one has been here to loot this place, at least not recently. Hopefully we can find some good stuff in here." After checking around the entrance they headed for the only opening they found. It led them down a hallway. Talen - Ai stopped twice a look on his face of confusion, she didn't want to ask what was wrong so kept quiet, only gripping her staff tighter.  
  
When they came to an intersection he stopped and listened, the feathers on his head puffing up. "This place is awfully quiet." She stopped and listened hard, she couldn't hear any squeaks from rats that, no matter where they had gone, had heard even if it was only once or twice before it ran away or tried to attack them. No drips of water, no rustling of debris or sounds indicating anything other than themselves were there. He rubbed his jaw then reached into his bag bringing out a different quiver, making sure it was full of the bundled arrows he had bought before they left Bravil.  
  
He marked the directions and started toward the right. When they reached an opening he noticed there was a ledge with what looked like a door and no other way to reach it other than by finding how to get on the ledge. "Hmm,  this keeps going,  let's go back the other way." He backed up and turned heading back the other way and making a few scratches on the wall with his mixture.  
  
The short hallway led to an open room and he heard a cracking sound in the corner. "Shit. I knew it." He nocked an arrow and sent it in the directing the cracking was coming from. They heard it clatter against something. The cracking grew louder and Shepard backpedaled as a skeleton came charging at them carrying a large double headed axe. Talen - Ai rolled away from the swing of the huge axe and came up to fire off another arrow before she had snapped out of it and leaped into the fight. Her staff cracking at the bones, finally breaking one of the leg bones and taking it down. She finished it off by crushing the skull under a hard blow.  
  
"Fucking skeletons ... what the hell is this? Night of the walking dead. First ghosts now skeletons. What the hell is next, flesh-eating zombies yelling "brains" as they try and kill us?" Shepard kicked one of the bones across the floor where it rolled and clattered to a stop. Talen - Ai didn't say anything as he was really hoping not to encounter zombies down here, they were a bitch to kill and carried diseases. He wisely kept that information to himself ... for now.  
  
He gathered the few items from the skeleton then walked around the room,  finding a small chest against the back wall.  The lid was at an angle and it had started to decay. He hoped something remained inside. It opened to reveal a handful of gold coins in a rotted bag along with a still intact jar with an unknown powder in it. They moved back down the hallway to where they had stopped to turn around.  
  
They looked but couldn't find a way up the ledge, "it must be further in,  come on," Talen-Ai whispered.

They walked under the ledge and through the opening and came to a dead end. Shepard let out a sigh and once again watched as he searched the room,  then indicated a small blue stone set in the wall covered with ages-old grime. She reached out and shoved on it with her hand and the wall in front of Talen-Ai opened to reveal a fairly wide hallway.  
  
She heard a grunt coming from where he had been walking and saw him leaning against the wall holding the toe part of his leather boots. He had worn a pair of the softer ones instead of the scaled covered ones. She let out a giggle as she realized he whacked his toes on the chest that was barely visible up against the wall. "Shut up and open the damn thing." It came out as gruff but with an underlying laugh and she only smiled at him as she reached down to open it. It didn't budge.

"It's locked."  
  
He bent down removing his lockpick set and got to work,  several minutes later a barely audible click was heard and he opened the chest. Pocketing the gold coins and the only unbroken potion from the chest they started off again. The hallway ended in a large room, it was currently occupied by a ghost who started to cast cold spells at them both and two skeletons who came at them. Shepard jumped toward the ghost using the length of her staff to keep it at a distance while damaging it. Talen-Ai was alternating his flame spell with damage from his sword.  
  
They were both out of breath and patching up various cuts and scrapes from the skeletons. Shepard gathered the items while Talen - Ai gathered the ectoplasm and she watched as he also slipped the undamaged skull of one of the skeletons into his bag. She shook her head really not wanting to know what the hell he was going to do with it.  
  
The room they were in was large, there was a faint blue glow from stones set high in the ceiling. There were tattered remnants of tapestries on the wall and she mentioned that this place must have been a real sight to see when it had first been built. He agreed with her and said it was a shame all of the Ayleid places that he knew of was in ruins like this. It must have been grand indeed to have something like this for a home. He stopped in front of the only piece of furniture that remained in the huge room, it looked to have been some type of dresser at one point,  now barely more than a pile of rubble. He moved bits and pieces of it finding a couple of coins and a small box. He put it in his bag to check later, something that small would need better light to see the lock to open it. He let out a sigh and rolled his shoulders and then his neck, stopping as he spotted something up on wall.  
  
"Shalaree,  come here a second." He pointed to a spot that at one time must have been some sort of display area.  There were three of the Welkynd stones on what looked to be some sort of pedestals. Shepard nodded knowing what he wanted her to do and held out her staff calling forth its power and drawing the stones to her one after the other. She handed them to him and he tucked them in his pouch with a nuzzle to her head.  
  
They followed the hallway around finding another container that they were finally able to get open and get to the contents within. So far there hadn't been much and Talen-Ai hoped that the treasures would get better soon.  
  
When they reached another dead end they stopped and took a small break while keeping an eye on their surroundings. She waited as he went a few yards away to a small alcove to relieve himself, she did the same after he was done. She squatted there with a grimace on her face wishing this armor had the waste disposal system her old one had. She hated having her ass hanging out in this place. He handed her a square of bandage soaked in water and an herb known for its antiseptic properties to clean her hands with. She had pitched such a large fit a while ago about not having anything to clean her hands afterward that he started to carry this stuff with him even though it had taken precious space in his pack.  
  
When she told him she was ready he pushed in the large square block and she yelled, right on the other side of the door stood another skeleton.  
  
Three skeletons, a ghost, and several looted containers later they stood in front of an opening with a door hanging off of its frame. Talen - Ai finished tearing it down and laid it on the floor before they went through.  
  
As soon as they entered the room they saw the Varla stone sitting in a cage in the exact center of the room. He looked for a switch but couldn't find anything,  only finding three separate halls into other areas. One he could hear the faint hissing of what sounded like a gas trap coming from it. "Damn it."  
  
He headed for the northern room, where he had heard the hissing noise. Staying along the wall and looking for a switch but finding nothing. He then moved to the southern room, after killing the skeleton there they found a gate. It was shut and he couldn't find a way to open it. At the other end of the room they found another door.  
  
"Should we go through or go back to the other room?" She asked him and he shook his head.

"We go back, the switch for that cage is nearby, it is always near where the stone is, and that is the only way we haven't been to yet. If we don't find anything then we backtrack here."  
  
The room opened up into a rectangle, the creature came out of the far corner and hit Talen - Ai with a wave of cold magic. He was able to get several arrows off before it had got close enough to grab him. Shalaree used her staff on it as fast as she could while it was concentrating on him. She backed up slightly when it dropped him to the floor and she yelled before attacking the ghost with even more ferocity than before. She was hit with a bolt of cold as the creature got close enough to touch her before it let out a moan and vanished leaving behind a pile of residue on the floor.  
  
She stumbled to Talen - Ai her body wracked with chills and her teeth chattering. She shook him several times then poured different potions into his mouth, letting out a small groan as he finally swallowed them. She pulled him into her arms and held him. They both felt so cold to her. She hoped nothing else would come at them until they recovered.  
  
Some time had passed before he started to come around. He cast his healing magic then reached into his bag pulling out two battered tankards and a bottle of something.  He poured it into the cups and added several herbs, then cast a short burst of fire from his hand heating the brew. "Drink, my dear."  
  
They sat huddled in a corner drinking the warm liquid, letting it settle into their bodies and heating them up to their normal body temperatures. "Thank you for saving my life, Shalaree." He whispered to her, he was staring at the pile of goo on the floor,  a light misting effect was still visible even after what must have been several hours had passed.  
  
She leaned her head on his shoulder and stared at the same spot, "that one was a lot tougher than the last ghost."

He gave a shiver before saying, "that wasn't a ghost. It was a wraith. So much more powerful than anything we have fought before. If it hadn't been for you and that staff, I would have died. I could feel it draining me faster and faster. I remember thinking that it couldn't end like this, that it was me that was supposed to be protecting you. Not the other way around. Then I felt nothing."  
  
After several more minutes, he put the tankards back into his bag and stood up, pulling her up and into his arms. He held her tight to him for several minutes before running a hand through her hair and gently rubbing his face against hers. Slowly he tipped her head to the side and ran the tip his tongue across her mouth to her utter surprise. "I can't kiss as one of your kind do,  but this is the closest one of my kind is able to do." She was clutching the leather of the bandolier he had put on, after filling it with several other items from their cart before coming inside, in her one hand while the other was on his shoulder. He held her for another minute before relaxing his hold and taking a few steps back.  
  
She cleared her throat and ran a hand over her stomach before she nodded at him. She stumbled a little as they walked around the room, finding a small blue stone set into an indent. He pushed it and they heard a click and a small clang from the other room. They rushed back and he carefully took down the precious stone and placed it into her pack alongside the other one.  
  
They stopped and he gathered up the ectoplasm and she gathered what was in the two boxes they had found as he picked the lock on the door barring their way. They walked into the next room. She let out a gasp as it opened up into a large room and they were on a small ledge spanning the length of it. Talen-Ai moved to the edge and took careful aim before letting an arrow fly into the skeleton standing between what she thought were overturned benches of some kind. The creature moved and tried to find a way to them, Talen-Ai tracked it and fired off several more arrows. They heard clattering coming from the room below and watched as another skeleton appeared in the small glow from the stones set in the wall. Talen-Ai took down that one as well and they moved forward, finding their path blocked by a collapsed section of the walkway that had fallen into the room below.  
  
"Now what?" Shepard asked him as she looked over the ledge seeing the rubble below. No sooner had she said something when she saw him back up and start running, leaping over the gap in the walkway and landing on the other side. He rolled twice before coming to a stop and standing up. He moved back to the edge and motioned to her. "Come on,  you can do it."  
  
"You are a crazy damn lizard, do you know that." She gave a huff, shook her head and backed up to get a running start. She was airborne when the flashback hit her of the last time she gave a jump like this one. Collectors hot on her heels and the open airlock door looking so far away. A pair of green scaled hands clutched at her arms and pulled her up that time. This time a different set of green scaled arms caught her and brought her to safety.  
  
He gave a grunt as he twisted, landing on his side with her in his arms. The wind had been knocked out of him and it took a minute to regain his breath. Her eyes caught and held his green ones. He didn't move as she reached up and brushed a hand across the side of his face to his horn. Gliding those fingertips down to the end before once more touching his face. He swallowed and bit back a groan as she rolled out of his arms and stood up.  
  
He led the way into the next room. There in the middle of the room surrounded by gas traps was a large chest. They walked around the area and he told her to wait against the back wall. He inched his way forward, toward the chest,  his body twisting and holding up a folded piece of leather over his mouth and nose. He reached out lifting the lid of the chest and coughed as the gas finally shut off. He scooped the gold coins into his pouch, then tossed the ruined clothing to the side. He found a hood that gave off a soft glow, two scrolls and a book at the bottom. When he picked up the hood two empty soul gems and one large glowing one fell out of it. He quickly put everything in his bag to look at later.  
  
They moved out of the room and he pointed to a door. "We should check out the room and go through that door. This place looks like a chapel of some type so that door should lead out of here." He wiggled around and lowered himself down as far as he could before letting go of the grip on the side he had. He landed letting out an umph and an "Oblivion damn it all, that hurt," before he stood up and held up his hands to catch her.  
  
They searched the room, he picked the locks on the chests they found while she moved stuff around in her bag to put the axe and sword into it after wrapping the pieces of leather around the sharp blades. Talen-Ai walked over to her and handed her several potions and filled soul gems, along with several scrolls. "Ready?" She nodded as she gave out a huge yawn. He swung his tail back and forth, "did you want to try and get a few hours of sleep before we move on or are you going to be ok? I don't know how much longer this place goes for."  
  
"Hell no, I don't want to sleep in this creepy place. Let's get our asses moving, the quicker we get done the sooner we can get out of this spooky ruin." He laughed and led the way to the door. After giving the stuck door several tugs he pulled it open wide enough for them to slip through. They no sooner got 10 feet in the door when they felt the cold coming at them again. "Shit,  here we go again!"  
  
They scraped up the ectoplasm, opened the drawer in the broken cabinet in the corner taking out the two potions they found there and moved on. When they rounded the corner into a large room, he grabbed Shalaree by the arm and took several steps back. She looked at him noticing the way he stared at the floor. She saw what looked like a grill opening,  wide areas that liquids would drain down into. "What is ...",  she stopped talking as he pointed to the ceiling where giant spikes were barely visible right above the area. "Holy shit."  
  
He took her by the hand and led her to the edge of the room,  once more going slow and watching where he put his feet. When they reached the opposite wall he let out a breath. When they entered the next room it held a deathly chill, they looked at each other and Talen-Ai readied his bow, the glimmer of the silver tipped arrows could be seen as the light from the stones in the walls shone in pools around the room.  
  
His eyes moved around the room as they moved forward, then he saw it. A dark shadow moving toward them, "Wraith!" He let his arrow fly, nocking another and letting it loose before running,  trying to draw it away from Shalaree. She came up behind it and landed a solid blow to the shadowed form. It turned, the sword it held somehow in its long clawed hand flashing out as its other hand reached for her. Several more arrows buried themselves in the creatures back as she did her best to back away and still damage the ethereal creature. A wave of heat washed over her as Talen-Ai sent flames toward the wraith,  drawing the creature back toward him and giving her time to drink a small green potion.  
  
Finally, they heard a moan and the sword clattered to the floor, the wraith disappearing in a black puff of smoke. They leaned against the wall, catching their breaths then he walked over, giving a laugh as he pulled out the last of the initialed bags. "We did it, Shalaree. We found all five portions of this stuff for that lady back in Leyawiin."

She let out a grunt then walked around the room. "That damn woman better keep her word,  we went through hell to get that crap."  
  
"Talen-Ai, you won't believe this, but look what I found." She said to him a little while later as he knelt beside the large chest in the room, his lockpick in one hand, wrench in the other. He looked up and she held out her hands, there piled in them was seven more of those glowing purple Welkynd stones.

"We finally found the good things, dear one. The Varla stone,  all those stones you're holding. Plus the last wraith dropped something that I desperately needed." He tipped his head to the side where she saw the sword that the wraith had been holding. The blade looked different than it had earlier,  now with a green tint to the entire thing instead of grey.

"It is glass and is much more powerful than the steel I had. It can harm that which needs higher level materials, plus after we make some more money can be enchanted with higher grade enchants. It is better than anything I have ever had before, except for my bow, which I guess is more out of sentimentality than anything."

"Glass? Won't it shatter?" She stared down at it, and he let out a laugh as he went back to fiddling with the lock.

"Not that kind of glass, dear." The lock gave a click and he put away his tools then opened the chest. She slipped the stones into his pouch as he started pulling things out of the large chest. When he was done they took stock of what they found. Several gems, one of which he separated from the rest and tucked it into his own pouch, and a small bag of old gold coins. Another book he tucked into her own bag, several more scrolls. A handful of soul gems both filled and empty. He picked up the heavy piece of armor that had been in the bottom and let out a grunt before dropping it off to the side. He turned several strange objects over in his hands and then placed them in his own bag. She raised an eyebrow at him, "hammers that are used to repair armor and weapons."  
  
He let out a groan as he stood up. His new sword held in his hand as it was longer than his old one so wouldn't fit into the sheath, and walked toward the back of the room where the last chest was. He opened it removing the cache of healing potions that were still usable. "What about that piece of armor you left laying back there?"  
  
"Iron. Leave it. It's not worth much and will only weigh down the cart when we might need the room for something better."  
  
They were both yawning and shaking their heads as they headed down the only hallway left. They came to the gate that had been locked and he grinned at her before pushing the button. "How much do you want to bet that door leads to the one we saw near the entrance?"  
  
She only yawned at him and grabbed his arm, leaning her head against him as he walked to it and kicked it open when pushing or pulling it didn't work. They walked out onto the ledge and he grabbed her before she could drop down,  pointing down further along. She hung her head and followed him, hoping they wouldn't run into another wraith, she didn't think she had the energy to take another one out.  
  
Thankfully the only occupant was a skeleton armed with a hand axe and a few swings of Shepard's staff was enough to shatter it. She stood grumbling as he picked the lock on the battered container and took out the handful of coins from inside. She gazed longingly at what must have been at one time a bed, before letting out a sigh and trudging behind him back out onto the ledge then dropping heavily down on him, knocking him to the ground. He gave a huff then dragged her up against him as they stumbled out into the early morning light.  
  
He dumped her into the back of the cart where she promptly fell asleep. He made sure the horse had water in the bucket then crawled up next to her, hoping to Oblivion no one would find them where they were hidden behind the ruins.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick reminder, there is no beta for this story and any errors you find in grammar, punctuation or what have you is my fault. Hope you are still enjoying the story. Thank you to all the readers and to the ones that have left me comments and kudos. They let me know that someone is reading and finding some enjoyment from it.

* * *

 

 

The sun was directly overhead when Talen - Ai stirred. He sat up taking in his surroundings within seconds. The horse had wandered further from the cart than what he was comfortable with and gave a low whistle noise before hopping down and walking after it. He used a leather strip to tie it nearby and went to gather the local flora. When he was done it was mid-afternoon and Shalaree still hadn't awakened. He leaned over the end of the cart, hearing a light snore coming from her and gave a small snort.  
  
After hitching the horse up he turned the cart south instead of heading back to Bravil to catch the ferry across the river. This way he could turn in the bows and collect the bounty on them and also drop off the ectoplasm. It would add several days to their journey if they didn't stop as much or if she wanted to, there was plenty of sites to stop along the way after they turned back north. He would wait until they were ready to cross over before showing her the map again.  
  
They had just passed a cave they had already explored when Shepard woke in the back of the cart. He pulled over and waited for her to finish her necessary business then slowly started the cart rumbling forward as she dug around in his pack for another soaked bandage. She looked around,  recognizing some of the landmarks. "Why're we heading south?" He explained his plan to her and she nodded,  reaching back into one of the sacks to grab an apple from it.  
  
It was late when he pulled the cart over into a well-hidden spot behind a thicket of shrubs and trees. He unhitched the horse and took care of it while Shepard laid out a bedroll under the cart. She handed him something to eat before taking up the first watch so he could sleep. Several hours later they switched. She was startled awake when she heard the clashing of weapons and several people yelling. She rolled from under the cart grabbing her staff and launching the horse's water bucket into one of the figures that didn't have a silhouette of a tail. The male's shout let the remainder of his companions know someone else was there not just the argonian. The fight lasted several more minutes before a combined hit from both of them took down the last of the foolish bandits.  
  
"Where the hell ... did they come from?" Shepard panted out as she leaned against the cart. Talen - Ai was applying a healing salve to her skin from where she had been sliced by one of their swords. His own wounds were still left untreated and she tried to stop him from tending her to heal himself.

"Quit nagging, I'm almost done here. They must have heard the horse or just blundered onto us. I heard a noise in the woods and tried to muffle the horse, the next thing I knew one of them came bursting into the area followed by the others. I'm glad for once you woke up quickly and coherently. Must have been the adrenaline rush that got you going. Maybe I should wake you up in a panic more often. Ouch, hey that hurt." He gave a slight laugh as she punched his arm.  
  
After tending his own wounds they hitched the cart back up and started back on their way, now slightly heavier as the bandits were carrying a few good items and had more stashed in a few sacks they had found dumped nearby. Talen - Ai looked over when he felt her head come to rest on his shoulder. She had her eyes closed and had fallen back asleep. Switching the reins to one hand he wrapped the other around her bringing her more securely into his body. He smiled when she snuggled into him and let out a sigh.

 

* * *

  
  
When they arrived at the Leyawiin stables,  Talen - Ai rented a small hand-drawn cart and they spent a portion of the evening piling the things they wanted to sell into it. The guard remembered the pair and greeted them as they walked toward the town's gate. Several stops later and the cart was now mostly empty.  She thought they had made a decent amount of Septims from the goods. Some items just weren't selling and Talen - Ai sighed. "What's wrong?"  
  
He looked down at her, "I was hoping for better prices. I'll get you settled into the Inn then take this cart back to the stables. In the morning I'll need to go to the Exchange then we can restock at the mage's guild and drop off those items." She followed behind him to the Inn they had seen when they first arrived in this town. When they entered they noticed it was indeed clean and was much better than the place in Bravil. Shepard let out a snort and whispered that the Orc could use some decorating and management tips from the owners of this place. Talen - Ai gave a low laugh then approached the khajiit that was behind the counter.  
  
"Good evening, welcome to The Three Sisters' Inn, how may this one serve you?" The female behind the counter said in her heavily accented voice. Shepard did a double take, the way she had spoken reminded her of the hanar and their speaking of themselves in the 3rd person or saying "this one".  She also noticed two other female khajiit nearby,  these must be the sisters. "Do you have room to let,  just for the one night?"  
  
She pulled out a ledger from under the counter and opened it, "there is one room left. It is a suite, so fair warning, it does not come cheap. It has only the one bed, however, it is one of the largest doubles we have. There is an adjoining room that contains a table and chairs, several bookcases with tomes for your enjoyment while you stay with us. Breakfast is included in the price and is served in the dining area between 5 and 8 o'clock in the morning. Check out is at the noon hour. Are you interested?"  
  
He glanced at Shepard who only shrugged. "Yes,  just for the one night."

The khajiit smiled, "very good. It will be 40 gold Septims. This one's sister, Shamada, will show you to your room. There are towels and soaps already there. For hot water just pull on the bell rope, someone will bring a bucket up as quickly as they can." Shepard gave her a huge grin when she heard there would be hot water to wash in.

 

* * *

  
  
She waited until he shut the door behind him before rushing over and pulling on the rope. She dug through her bag pulling out clean items then went through the linen basket that was set neatly next to the wash basin. She found a tiny,  wrapped bar of floral soap just as the knock came at the door. A small child came in carrying the heavy bucket trying not to spill any, his tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth and she heard a grunt as he placed it on the floor next to the basin. Reaching into the tiny purse on her belt she drew out two of the small copper coins and handed them to the child. He looked at them then at her, clutching both of the coins in his hand while thanking her.  
  
She shut and locked the door behind the small boy still hearing him calling out his thanks and quickly stripped. She didn't want the water to cool off too much. She poured the water into the basin leaving enough for a rinse,  then stuck her head as far into the basin as she could get. Using her hands to wet her hair down before lifting up with a gasp and starting to scrub fast and furious with the bar of soap. She was still wishing for a large tub or shower,  her head had been itching and she could swear she had fleas from sleeping on the bedroll.

She had just started to soap down her body when she heard the rattle of the doorknob. Cursing as she moved too quickly and a soapy strand of hair got in her eye causing her pain, her other eye started to water and her vision became blurry. She felt around for the staff she had left propped up against the wall when she heard Talen - Ai's indrawn breath right before a snort of laughter.  
  
"I see you didn't waste any time getting water." She heard him drop his sword on the table and turned back to the basin after she yelled at him to shut up and go into the other room. He just started to laugh and she heard him pull on the rope signaling for more water.  
  
Grousing because she knew, just knew he was still in the room. She felt around for the bucket,  pouring the remains over her head and body. After wringing out her hair she felt around for the towel and jumped when she felt him start to dry her off. "You damn pervert. Gimme that towel."  
  
"Oblivion,  no. You think I'm going to pass up this opportunity?" He laughed as he rubbed the towel over her while trying to evade her grabbing hands. He only laughed harder as she finally grabbed it from him,  wrapping it around her before she punched him. A minute later a knock came at the door and the same small boy carried in another bucket. After setting it down he stared up at the argonian.  
  
"He's waiting on a tip," she said as she started drying her hair with another towel.  
  
"A what?" Talen - Ai looked from the boy that was still staring up at him to her.  
  
"A tip. One or two of those copper coins, for carrying up that heavy bucket." She didn't see him cross his arms over his chest or puff up his feathers.  He stared back down at the boy and saw him swallow before reaching into his coin purse and bringing out a small copper coin, he handed it to the lad who thanked him then took off running down the hallway.  
  
"Shalaree,  you do understand the child works here in exchange for food and a safe place to sleep. From the look of it clean, mended clothing as well. Why would you also give him a coin?" He started to strip off his own armor,  dropping it on the floor as she explained that in her time a worker that delivered goods or services such as room deliveries at hotels were given a small tip in thanks for fast service.  
  
He let out a hum and started to go about washing. He caught her glancing at him several times and swung his tail a bit more enthusiastically, flexed his arms and back muscles a bit more than necessary. Took his time washing his chest and abs,  seeing her eyes drift over him following the cloth before she turned to the small dresser that held her silver comb. When he moved to washing his thighs he caught her once more staring at him in the mirror,  this time he met her eyes and moved the cloth across his groin. She heard him laugh as she blushed and stomped out of the room.

 

* * *

  
  
After setting about cleaning and making small repairs to their armor and weapons he brought out the map of Cyrodiil again. "Alright. Tomorrow after we make sure we have everything we think we will need, we head out of the North East Gate. There is a man that runs a type of ferry service, he has a flat-bottomed boat for transporting caravans and large containers across the bay here." He pointed to a narrow area that separated Leyawiin town from the Blackwood section on the East part of the continent closer to Black Marsh. "There is a road here,  see it?" He tapped the black marking. When she nodded he said, "this road travels the entire way up Blackwood then connects to the roads that split and circle around north and south of the Imperial City.  Here." He pointed out the crossroads.  
  
"Now,  there are spots we can explore. They aren't too tightly packed together so we will need to travel a bit to get to them,  hopefully, that will also mean fewer adventurers or scavengers have picked them over. There are very few campsites or Inns on this side of the river. So we will be camping out. We will stop by the general outfitters in the morning. Hopefully, they will have several tents to choose from,  if not we will have to make due with a lean-to until we can get enough hides together to make one big enough for the both of us."  
  
He watched her chewing her lip and looking over the map,  she pointed to several markings and he explained what they were, then tapped once again at a marked location much further north and just to the east of the large town. "This is the last of the places that I need to go for that pickup. After we clear the place we will once again pull out the map to make a decision on direction. We will need to watch weight and quality of the items from now on though. Along with not a lot of inns... there are barely any towns let alone ones with merchants with deep purses."  
  
She leaned back in the chair she was sitting on, "what about caravans? Like the one we ran into before?"

He rolled up his map putting it back in his pack, "they are rare on that side of the river. Not many khajiit travels on that side. Like I said earlier, it's not all that heavily packed with settlements. The best we can hope for is one heading between Cheydinhal and the Imperial City. Maybe one heading down to Leyawiin,  but it isn't as likely." He made sure all of the gear was put back into the packs and the armor and weapons ready for the morning. "If we get close to the point of being overloaded we will head to the closest city and sell the goods there before continuing on. It will just throw us back another few days."  
  
She let out a huff, "well it isn't as if we are on some sort of time limit to reach the City ... unless there is something else?"

His eyes met hers and he shook his head, "nothing else and you're right there isn't a time limit. I just want to get to the Imperial City,  turn in that stuff and put it behind us for good. Maybe find us a home or at least someplace we can rest safely when we get a chance."  
  
"We better get to bed, we need to be up early to get started. It's going to be a long day." He stretched and rubbed at his chest before starting to extinguish the candles and lanterns, leaving a small one lit on the stand near the privacy screen in case she needed to relieve herself in the middle of the night. She hesitated before standing up and moving toward the large bed in the adjoining room.  
  
By the time she got done fiddling around and wasting time he had already got into bed, and settled down, his tail hanging off the edge and thumping the floor once in awhile. He had given her plenty of room so she wouldn't feel crowded or overly nervous. Leaning against him on the cart was one thing, sleeping next to him in just her underwear was another. She felt like she was being unfaithful to Thane. Knowing it was stupid, Thane was gone and wasn't coming back. According to the Hist, he wanted her to be happy,  that would make his soul rest and be at peace ... but still.  She already felt uncomfortable at her growing attraction to the argonian, but she still wasn't ready to let Thane's memory fully go. No matter how fast he was fading from her.  
  
She got in clinging to the edge and she heard him let out an irritated sigh, "relax, Shalaree. I am not going to do anything to you. I may play around and tease you, and I admit take liberties that maybe I shouldn't. But you need never fear that I would go beyond that without your permission and reciprocation."  
  
"I know that,  and I would beat the tar out of you should you try it anyway. It's not that Talen - Ai,  it ... I'm not ready to let him go yet. I'm sorry."  
  
She felt him touch her shoulder. "Do not apologize for loving someone that deeply, Shalaree. Now relax and rest, for it may be a while before we do so in comfort again."  
  
He laid there quietly for a long while listening to her breathing, finally, it changed as she relaxed and drifted off to sleep. He wondered just how long it would be before she began to feel anything for him. What would it be like to have someone love him like that? For a moment he felt jealousy and hatred toward her dead lover,  then shame that those feelings had entered his heart and mind. He prayed for the Hist to give him patience and to help him find a way to earn her trust and love.

 

* * *

  
  
The next morning they were the first down to the dining area. Shalaree weaving a bit in her chair and yawning. One of the khajiit sisters brought plates out to them and a small pot of some type of steaming drink. "Shuravi said to bring this to you. It is a specialty of ours. A family recipe handed down from our mother and her mother before her. This khajiit brings a pot of delicious tea, made of bergamot seeds, blackberry leaves and the root of the morning glory. There are a few other ingredients as well, in small amounts,  but this blend has the effect to restore your fatigue. It also has the side effect to wake you up." The woman gave a small laugh as Shepard blinked up at her and yawned again.  
  
The khajiit put several small green leaves into a cup and poured the brew over it. "This one recommends letting it steep for five minutes then try it without adding sweetener. If you need to sweeten it, signal and Shomara will bring you some honey."  
  
Talen - Ai was grinning as he watched Shalaree try to eat and stay awake. Finally telling her to drink her tea. After the first few sips, she seemed to waken a bit,  by the time she drained the liquid from the cup she was actually awake. He scooped the leaves out of the bottom and took a closer look at them. _Hmm... primrose leaves._ He made her another cup,  inhaling the fragrance and before she drank it took a taste for himself. _Yes... there is the bergamot, a slight tingle on the tongue from the morning glory... hmm... was that lavender?_ There was something else there as well other than the blackberry but he wasn't sure what it was.  
  
When they had finished they turned in their room key and asked if it was possible to purchase a pouch of the tea blend. Shuravi gave a slight laugh and pulled out a jar from under the counter. "This khajiit has just the item you requested." She handed them the crystal jar and a note on how to brew it after they handed her the Septims, thanking them for staying at the Inn and hoped they came again.  
  
By the time the sun was fully past the horizon they had visited the alchemist, general goods store and he had finally got into the Exchange. She watched as he traded in the old coins they had found in the chests within the Ayleid ruins for the new Septims or in some cases for certain precious gems after Talen - Ai had examined them. After that, they went to the mages guild. They were stopped several times as the mages wanted to speak with Shalaree, so he went about buying their soul gems and having their weapons recharged while she visited with them. Their last stop before leaving was the blacksmith. Talen - Ai was not looking forward to dealing with the bigoted man. Luckily the assistant was the only one there at the time and Talen - Ai hurriedly purchased the few items they were needing then left.  
  
The sleepy-eyed stable boy hooked up their horse to the cart as Talen - Ai secured the tent to the side with leather strips and hung the two lanterns on the cart. Double checked everything was ready and hadn't been tampered with before helping Shalaree up to the seat and guiding the cart down to the small inlet where the ferryman lived.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick thank you to everyone reading the story, also a reminder that since I don't use a beta you will find errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. I'm trying to do a better job at editing. Please excuse them. If there is something that is in serious need of fixing let me know.
> 
> Enjoy.

* * *

 

 

Talen - Ai carefully maneuvered their cart toward the Yellow Road after they left the ferry and turned toward the north. Their first stop would be an Ayleid ruin just to the North of where they were. When they reached the path toward the ruin he stopped the cart and hopped down. "Wait here, while I scout ahead to make sure it's safe and to find a place to secure the cart. This ruin was one of the largest ones that I have heard about and more than likely it will take us all day, if not more, to go through it. There is a small town up ahead if we can't find a safe spot and will just have to stable it there if we have to."

Shepard frowned down at him. "If we do that won't we have to make a lot more trips for any junk we find inside there?"

"Yes, but if we lose the horse and cart we will be in trouble. Compared to that, a bit of inconvenience with multiple trips would be worth it. Just wait here and keep an eye out for trouble." He pulled off his bow then blended into the overgrowth alongside the path.

He approached as quietly as he could, stopping and listening as he drew closer. When he saw the white of the marble indicating the ruin was ahead he tried to find a spot for them to stash the horse. He noticed there were several areas around the outside of the ruin that had plenty of trees for cover. He also saw something moving around on the top of the long wall that ran around it. He moved back into cover then climbed up the side of a hill, seeking cover behind the wall and in the small groves of trees until he could get closer to see exactly what was walking around up there. As he did so he saw movement a short way ahead of him as well, this one was far enough away from the other that it shouldn't draw attention if he needed to dispose of whatever it was.

He crouched in the shadows of the foliage and waited, when the creature got closer he snarled, "damn it. It just had to be a troll." He nocked an arrow and waited, as soon as the creature lumbered within range he let the arrow fly then moved. The troll roared in rage and charged for him. Talen - Ai fired off another arrow then hit it with a burst of flame. The creature kept coming. "Shit!"

He backed up and continued to hit it with flame, pulling out his sword and trying to cut it down. "What the hell kind of troll are you?" He shouted at the thing as it kept coming at him, slower than before though, and he kept slicing into it, his magicka needed to rebuild so he only used it in short bursts. The troll got in several good hits on him, the last one sending him crashing into a tree. He was a bit dazed but kept up the flame as it drew closer, he saw the creature stumble then finally fall.

He slid down against the tree trunk and reached for the pack drawing out a small healing potion. "Shit, Shalaree is gonna bitch at me for sure about this." He sat there a few seconds longer before he got up and went to gather the troll fat and whatever he could find on it. When he rolled it over he couldn't really tell any difference between the troll and the other ones, but it was much stronger than usual. He healed himself up a bit more before heading around the perimeter again. When he got near where he had seen the other creature he let out a quiet curse. Another troll. He slowly backed up then turned to head back where he had left Shalaree and the cart, trying to figure out an excuse as to why his armor had a torn section and fresh bloodstains on it.

She knew something was wrong when she saw him coming out of the woods, he seemed to be favoring his right side and he was being even more quiet than usual. She climbed down from the seat and met him near the horse. That was when she saw the blood and the torn section of his armor that he had been trying to hide. "What the hell happened to you?"

He let out a snort and walked toward the back, "I tripped and fell down a hill." She snarled at him and he let out a sigh, "a troll."

"A troll? One troll did this? I am having a hard time believing that story, Talen - Ai. I have seen you take down stronger things than that without a scratch on you. Now spill it, what was it really?" Shepard was glaring a hole in him as he removed his shirt to fix the hole. She gasped as she saw his back. His scales were damaged and looked like his hide was severely bruised.

"It was a damned troll. Not like any I have fought before. I don't know what the hell is going on with it, but there was another one, on the wall near where I could just barely see what looked like stairs going down. That was probably the entrance into the ruin." He hissed as she spread a healing salve on his back.

"Are we going to skip this one?" She asked quietly as he finished mending his leather shirt and slipped it back on. He looked at her as she put away the salve and repair kit.

"I don't really know. That ruin is large and could have some decent things inside if those trolls have been there for a while keeping others out. But if there are too many of those damn things it could be a death trap. What do you want to do? We can go to the town grab a room and talk. If we do decide to go back it might be better to leave the horse, safer for it at the stable." He turned and leaned against the cart and waited for her decision.

"Let's go stable the horse, tell me more about this troll on the way."

By the time they arrived at Blankenmarch he had told her about the fight with the troll, the area around the ruin and his opinion that if they were prepared and took their time they may be fine. They could decide once inside how far to go and if they should turn back. When they got a better look at the town they saw it only consisted of three homes and a single farm plot. "Well hell." He hissed out.

They pulled the cart up to the farmhouse and he got down to negotiate terms if the farmer was willing to provide shelter for their horse and cart in his small barn. Shepard looked around noticing the other villagers had come out, all two of them, and both were males. After Talen - Ai got back on the cart and drove it to the small barn she whispered asking him where the females were. He looked at her and his heavy brows drew down. When they got down from the cart and she started to gather up all the potions they had on the cart along with food items, he looked around as he unhitched the horse. Also noticing the lack of females. He could see junk piled up everywhere, and things in disarray inside the barn.

"Stay close, Shalaree." He muttered and she gave a slight nod. "Grab the sleeping bags, repair kit and make sure you have the other staff also." He set about gathering the herbs and flowers that were around the area as she pulled out everything he asked for and carefully packed it into one of the enchanted bags before handing it to him. He set up the traps around the cart then they walked back around to the front of the farm. The whole area was a mess.

"Four days, Argonian. That is the agreement, after that, the horse and cart are mine."

Talen - Ai narrowed his eyes, "four full days. If even one hair on that horse or one item on that cart is out of place you won't see the fifth."

 

* * *

 

From a spot in the grove of trees, he pointed out the troll and the entrance. She changed to the staff of sparks and followed him. When the troll spotted them it charged, the footing wasn't all that great on the top of the stone wall as it was littered with debris, but with the staff and extra fighter, the troll fell faster than the first one did. Shepard looked at him, she was breathing hard and gripping the staff, her eyes wide open as she realized he wasn't kidding about the strength of this troll. "That thing was fast as hell, Talen-Ai"

"Don't hold back using the magic of that staff, Shalaree." He was breathing heavy as he removed the fat deposits and pointed to a chest that was a bit further along the wall, tucked under a few sections of fallen rock. She headed toward it, tossed the rocks off and checked it over before opening it. She found a handful of non-cracked red potions of varying sizes and put them in her pouch. He left her briefly to gather the plants around the entrance then when he looked down at her, she gave a nod and narrowed her eyes before they started down the steps into the ruin.

They no sooner got to the bottom of the stairs and took a few steps inside when they heard a troll give a bellow and drop down in front of them from above. She kept an eye and ear open as Talen - Ai gathered the troll fat. As they moved a bit further in he spotted a chest in one of the alcoves, when he opened it he found it mostly empty, a few old coins were stuck in the corner of the chest. When he lowered the lid he looked up at her and told her to be careful, they may have more company other than trolls in this place. The door he found there had no way to be opened from their side so they passed it by.

They ran across another troll on a ledge overlooking a large open area, there were more trolls under that ledge and he grinned at her. "Get your bow out and let's see how well you do on a moving target." She blinked at him but pulled out her bow and the iron arrows. "These are all I have, Talen - Ai, they won't do shit to those things."

He shrugged, "don't worry about it, I bought you a few hundred steel arrows to use after those iron ones are gone. So get to it, woman."

She shoved him, almost knocking him off the ledge, he only let out a soft huff as his tail whipped out, letting him regain his balance. He squatted down and watched her sending arrows down on the two trolls that were raging down below them, as the arrows did no more than act like bug bites. Many of them hit, and he let out a humming noise as she told him she was out. He stood up bringing out his own bow and the enchanted arrows and finishing them off. Both of their souls entering the bag and filling up two gems inside.

"So do we jump down or do we continue around the ledge?" She asked him as she put her bow back and pulled out the staff.

"We check the rest of this area then we'll see. If you start to get tired or need a break say so. We can't afford to get too tired trying to get through this too fast without taking breaks."

They looked around, killed two more trolls and found three locked chests. When they were opened they found a handful of the old coins and a few gems but nothing else. At the end of a long hall, they found a doorway. "Open the door or go back for the trolls?"

"Let's go back, I'll jump down, gather what I can from the trolls and look for an exit. If I can't find one, you'll have to get back to the cart and grab the rope to haul my ass back up." He gave a short laugh then tripped over her foot as she stuck it out in front of him.

 

* * *

 

"There's a hallway down here, get your lovely ass down here so we can get a move on." He said laughing at her when she shook her fist at him then jumped, knocking him flat as she landed on him.

"What the hell is going on with you? You've been acting weird since we got in here." Shepard picked herself up from the ground and stood over him as he groaned from where he was still in a prone position.

"I think you broke my tail."

"I'll break a hell of a lot more if you don't start talking."

He hissed and stood up, casting a healing spell on himself then looking back over his shoulder to make sure his tail was fixed. "I'm happy, alright. You and me, on the road and having adventures. Finding treasure, one step closer to having the Septims for buying a home and finally being able to marry."

"Talen - Ai," she let out a soft sigh, "I haven't agreed to marry you."

"But... the Hist has matched us, we are to be married. And you like me, I know you do. I saw the way you were watching me as I bathed." His voice had changed, losing the joking quality it had earlier.

"Talen..., " she laid a hand on his arm and he jerked away from her.

"Let's get moving, we're wasting time."

They found two more chests that contained more of the same, just coins and few small gems. Talen - Ai hadn't said more to her than what was strictly necessary.

 

* * *

 

As they went down the stairs and into another area they came face to face with yet another of the trolls. He opened the chest that the troll had been standing near and pocketed the healing potions from inside it. There was a gate blocking the way and they looked around for the switch. Shepard heard a click as she stepped on something and the gate started to raise up. She moved her foot slightly and saw that some of the grime had been removed from a blue stone set in the floor. They located another chest and a set of stairs leading back up. When they came out into the room they had already checked out before, they retraced their steps back to the chest and headed down the hallway. They came to another gate and saw two trolls trapped behind it.

"Don't move, just shoot them with the sparks from your staff through the grating." His tone was flat and he pulled out a bow and started using it, the flash of steel tipped arrows showing in the meager light from the walls.

When both trolls were down, he looked around then stepped on another blue stone on the floor, the gate went up. He passed under it and it slammed shut before Shepard could move into the small area. He started gathering up the ingredients as she stepped on it then hurried to Talen -Ai's side. After picking the lock on the chest in the small area and finding a ring that gave off a slight glow, a handful of coins and two empty soul gems, he stepped on another stone in front of the next gate and they both hurried through, barely making it before the gate slammed back down.

When they came to an open area at the end of the hallway they were greeted by a pair of dead trolls in a large puddle of blood. He held out a hand to her and stood still, listening. When he heard nothing he moved closer and pointed out a shield and sword lying nearby, "there are others here, or at least there were at one point, and recently too, that blood looks fairly fresh."

"Why haven't we seen other dead trolls or bodies then?"

"There may be another way in, or it's possible the others were actually here first and the trolls just arrived before we did. All of those chests were locked, they may not have anyone along to pick them or they just couldn't. Some of those were fairly tricky." He turned to her, "we'll finish checking this room out then rest for a bit, there isn't anyone or anything left in the immediate area so we should be alright for a few hours."

He found another chest and after breaking two lockpicks on it finally got it to open, inside was two scrolls, a pouch of coins and gems, two blue potions and a pouch containing some type of dried herb. He felt around in the corners of the chest and held up something up to the light, he pocketed the small pearl he found.

They headed down the stairs into the room below and set up their bedrolls next to another chest that had been shoved into a corner. There were a few health potions in it that was still usable. While she rested he scraped the trolls and took a closer look at the sword and shield, leaving them both laying there as they were just junk.

 

* * *

 

She woke him up about three hours after he had laid down. They shared a loaf of bread, some cheese and he cut an apple in half. He stood up and after they were done rolling their bedrolls and taking care of their bodily necessities, he handed her a wipe and asked if she was ready.

When they entered the next area they found another dead troll and a helmet lying nearby. Talen - Ai picked it up then promptly dropped it muttering "leather."

Shepard went into the small alcove area where there was a fire lit and stood near it, "there are several chests in here."

"Alright, almost done here."

Inside the three chests, they found a decent amount of coins, some more empty soul gems, and another ring. After killing another troll he picked a lock on a chest and found another piece of armor, this one made of leather and metal and had a fairly strong glow to it. He put it in his bag along with the rest of the things inside the chest then they walked down the stairs.

After another hour or so they found themselves in a rather large room. They heard the noise from several of the trolls and started to move even more carefully. He looked up and pointed out several trolls that were up on the upper ledge but couldn't get to them. When they were finished looking around the lower level they went up the set of stairs they found to the upper level. He pointed out several gates like they had seen earlier.

They started to move toward one when he grabbed her pulling her back from the area in front of the gate. "Wait. Something's not right with that block in front of the door, do you see the difference?" He crouched down and pointed it out. Then started to look around. His eyes were drawn upwards and he let out a groan. "Well, shit." Hanging above the ledge, right above where they would have to walk was a set of blades suspended in the air on chains. After pointing them out to her he took a few more steps back and looked around.

"Let's just see if that block is the switch." He pulled off his bow and shot the troll standing on the ledge just past the next open gateway. It came charging at them around the corner and Talen - Ai stomped on the different block, watching as the blades dropped down on the hapless troll then reset only to drop down again. "Five seconds is all we have to make it from this gate past that trap. The hell with gathering from the troll. I'll open the gate, as the blades raise you run to the other side, I'll be right behind you."

She slid the staff into the holder on her back and nodded, as soon as he pushed the block to open the gate she rushed through it, skidding to a stop just on the other side of the open doorway. He waited until the blades dropped then hit the button, slipping through the gate and waiting until the blades were well past his height before hurrying to join her.

Several more trolls, gates and one more blade trap was encountered before they reached the steps heading down again. He picked up the two Welkynd stones and they both slid to a sitting position against the wall resting and healing before they headed down to the next level. He had no idea how long they had already been inside the ruins, but they were both really tired even after their earlier break.

"After this next level, we'll try and get some more sleep. I know you don't like trying to sleep in this place but we are getting too exhausted." He let out a groan and stood up, waiting for her to do the same.

They walked down the steps and eventually came to a room at the bottom, there were several campfires and blood everywhere, a couple of tents were set up as well. "Whoever set this camp must have been the ones to kill those trolls," he muttered as they walked around the room, skirting the pools of blood.

"If they were the ones killing those trolls, where the hell are they? All this blood, there had to be something big that happened here. But where are the bodies?"

His tail swung and he let out a sigh as he rubbed his neck, "Shalaree, the trolls probably ate them after they killed the people."

"Eww."

"Yeah, eww. Come on there isn't anything left here, let's press on."

They walked up a short flight of stairs and once again he stopped her and pointed out the different block. "Wait here a second. Be ready." He turned facing the room and jumped over the block, landing soundlessly on the other side and crouching. He eased toward the room, seeing a large decorative grate on the floor. He looked around the corner into the room and at the far end, under the lights from above, he spotted a chest and another troll.

He slipped around the side of the room heading for the chest that was directly in front of him, on the other side of the grate. He was moving slow and trying to stay in the shadows while keeping an eye on the troll. When he opened the chest he felt around inside and drew out a bundle of arrows slipping them into the pack. He patted around again and found a small half rotting bag of coins or something that felt like them, and pulled it out. He was in the middle of moving them toward his pouch when the bottom split and the clatter of the coins falling to the floor drew the monster's attention and it came running for him.

"Shit! RUN!" He jumped across the grate and ran into the hallway.

The beast was getting close when he ran across the stone setting off the trap and skidded around the corner. The poisoned troll was met with fire and balls of lightning.

"Run? What the hell were you doing in there?" She hissed at him as they moved back to the hallway, jumping over the trap once he was sure that the poison gas had dissipated.

"I was grabbing the crap out of this chest and the damn coin bag split." He knelt down and gathered up the coins, wondering how many of them had rolled and fallen through the grate. He stood up and looked in the chest, picking up a few scattered coins and a small soul gem.

They bypassed an opening and headed for the other chest. Once he picked it, he pulled out a pouch and opened it, seeing more coins and gems. A necklace in the bottom of the chest along with a roll of paper that fell apart when he picked it up. There was a scroll standing upright in the corner and he added it to her pack.

They headed into the passage and walked up the stairs. When they rounded the corner they saw a pair of trolls running for them. "Fuck!" Shepard yelled and they ran back down the stairs running as fast for the gas trap as they could. Shepard jumped the block and Talen - Ai ran over it. They heard the bellows as the trolls were caught in the gas. When the trolls came charging around the corner, Shepard cursed some more as there were four, not two.

Talen kept up the flames from both hands as long as he could then reached into his bag bringing out a Welkynd stone, crushing it in his hand just as the flame spell in his other hand sputtered out. They were running out of room to back up and dodge, Shepard's staff let out one last ball of lightning then gave out. She was thrown against a wall and Talen moved in front of her, the flames from his hands kept up. He was hit several times, cracking his head into the stone wall behind him but he kept the flame going until the last troll fell.

Then so did he.

 

* * *

 

Shepard groaned a heavy weight on her pinning her to the floor. The pain in her head, back and arm told her it was bad this time. She reached up with her good arm to try and shove whatever was on her off and encountered leather, scales, and feathers. Her hand came away feeling sticky. "Talen - Ai? Talen, wake up." She did her best to shake him but he didn't move. Her eyes scanned the area in front of her, seeing two burnt trolls collapsed on top of each other.

"Oh god." She pushed and pulled until she was able to wiggle out from under the dead weight of the argonian. "Talen -Ai, don't you do this to me." She reached into her pack, drank a potion then poured a potion into his mouth, it started to dribble back out and she let out a sob. She tried smearing salve on his head and the few spots she could see where his scales had been torn off.

She rolled him to his back and propped his head into her lap, she yanked up his shirt and placed her hand over where his heart was, at least where a human heart was and hoped like it hell it was in the same spot. She felt a very faint thumping and let out a breath, pouring another potion into his mouth and stroking his throat until he swallowed. She sat like that for what must have been hours, at one point she nodded off and jerked awake when she heard a light groan.

His eyes opened and the swirl of golden light began around her then around himself. He had yet to move from where he was laying, he just closed his eyes again. She let out a shaky breath and leaned her head back against the wall behind her. She woke up when she felt him moving.

"How long?" He croaked out as he struggled to sit upright.

"I don't know. It feels like a quite a few hours though." He let out a sigh and waited until his head stopped spinning then moved to where the trolls were, gathered the ingredients then struggled to his feet.

"Come on, we've been in this spot too long. We have to move, there could be more."

"Talen - Ai, I don't think ..." she started to say, only to stop and struggle to her own feet as he started to slowly walk up the steps toward where the gas trap room was. By the time she made it to the top he was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and the remains of the other two trolls pushed over to the side. He cast the healing spells on them again then stood up.

They were barely able to jump over the floor switch and Talen - Ai almost fell. He barely caught himself with a hand on the wall. When they made it back up to the room where the trolls had come from, he let out a small laugh and gathered the three Varla stones from their holders.

"Talen - Ai, the staff won't work." Shepard leaned against a wall as he picked a lock on a chest and pulled out several potions and a handful of coins.

"Use one of the filled soul gems from your pack." He handed her an alchemist pouch, "hold this under the staff where you place the stone to recharge it so the dust falls down into the bag."

When the stone flashed and shattered she handed the pouch back to him. "Talen ..."

"We should keep moving."

She leaned on the staff for a few seconds then followed him. They found another chest with healing potions in them and he handed them to her before walking up the steps. He stopped, leaning his head against the wall when he heard the sound of trolls from ahead of them. "Shit."

He pulled his sword and lit the fire in his left hand before moving forward.

The two trolls came at them and they moved around the room trying to dodge them, taking a few hits before the trolls went down. Healing potions were used then Talen - Ai set about collecting the ingredients before he went to open the chest that was in the middle of the room. He pulled out a couple of scrolls, soul gems, dumped a pouch of coins and gems in with the rest that he had picked up from this place. In the corner was a pouch that smelled faintly of herbs and another that had potions inside of it.

They searched the rest of the room then headed for the stairs going up. When they reached the top he took a deeper breath. "We're back at the entrance, Shalaree. Let's get out of here."

She nodded then followed him up the stairs and out into the late afternoon sun. He pulled out food from their packs as they trudged back to the farm. Since they couldn't be sure of how much time that passed when they had collapsed he thought it was best to just head back and hoped the farmer hadn't sold their horse and cart.

It was getting late as they entered the farm, the lights were out and he hushed her as they made their way to the barn. He checked the horse finding it hadn't been fed, the horse was shaky and the ribs were standing out a bit, but at least it was there and alive. He picked up the traps and Shalaree looked over the cart. "Everything looks to be here, but I think they tried to reach into the cart from the front because one of the crates was knocked over."

He let out a hiss of anger then hitched the horse, they opened the barn doors and Shalaree drove the cart outside while he closed the doors back up. Talen - Ai took the reins and kept the horse at a very slow walk as they moved toward the Yellow road, once they got back on it they headed north then he cut to the west.

"We're going to camp out for a few days. Go through what we got and rest up. The horse will also need additional time to recover, I don't think they fed it for the couple of days we were gone."

The moon was high overhead when he pulled into what looked like a well-used camping area. There was a guard that called out to him, when he answered they were there to use the campsite as well, the khajiit told him there was an open spot further along the shore.

They set up the camp and Talen - Ai started some of the tea brewing for Shalaree to drink in order to stay awake during the first watch then he crawled into the cart and fell fast asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait for a new chapter. Hope you enjoy it. If something doesn't make sense please let me know. Most of this was written as I was suffering from the flu. It made sense to me at the time but...

* * *

 

 

After a few hours, Shepard woke Talen - Ai, who grunted then practically fell from the cart. He waited until she was settled before working his way over to check on the horse and then walk the perimeter of their small campsite. As he walked he stopped to pick up branches and to think.

The Hist had warned him that she would be resistant to wanting to marry him. But had thought after all this time and knowing they were matched, that she wouldn't mind being with him. She was attracted to him just as he was to her, but when she said she never agreed, he had become angry. He's done so much for her already, what more could she want from him? He promised not to stray, he bought her what he could, healed her and kept her as safe as he could. Taught her, or at least tried to, about fighting and surviving in this world.

Maybe once he presented her with a nest of their own, a home, she would be more receptive. He would show her he could provide not only safety but security as well. He spent the rest of the night killing the mudcrabs and the occasional wolf that wandered too close to the small campsite. By the time she woke up he had a pile of furs that needed to be stretched and meat that needed to be roasted and put away.

"Shalaree, if it is alright with you, we should camp here for another day or two before moving on." When she nodded he pulled off the tent and set about putting it up.

"I'm going to go look around."

"Be wary of approaching the khajiit caravan, call out that you are there to see their wares and will cause no trouble. Also, keep a hand on your purse strings, the caravan's guards don't like pickpockets and thieves but will sometimes look the other way if it is one of them doing the pickpocketing."

She did as he said and after the guard looked at her for several minutes welcomed her to their camp. The leader of that particular caravan laid out his wares and the other guard watched her carefully as she looked at everything. The seller started chatting her up asking her where she was from and if there was anything, in particular, she was looking for. She smiled at him and told him this was her first time in this area and nothing, in particular, she asked him about where he was from and he happily launched into the praises of Elsweyr compared to Cyrodiil. When she seemed genuinely interested he told her his name and invited her to join them for the mid-morning meal after she finished browsing his wares.

Most of the goods were armor and weapons and she ended up buying several bars of soap, a man's shirt to sleep in, and several hair clips. He laughed when she picked a clip up and looked at him, "our women will sometimes keep their fur long on their head to emulate that of man and mer. Some of our males are quite fond of long hair on another."

She sat there braiding and twisting her hair up into a bun as he put his wares back into the baskets and chests, she didn't see the one guard staring at her as she did. The female guard watched over their camp while the others ate, the male guard bringing her a bowl full of the savory stew and a hunk of brown bread. She smiled at him as she accepted the meal. When he settled close beside her, he told her his name was Ma'jhad and asked her for stories about where she was from.

She thought about the places she went and told them of a visit to a place that was a great expanse of desert with an oasis where settlers had found a way to build and survive there. She didn't tell him that Intai'sei was a planet, not a village.

They asked about other places she had seen, she told them of Noveria, where everything was frozen. The leader, Ma'dran, laughed, "sounds like where this caravan is heading. Far to the north in frozen Skyrim. This khajiit does not like the cold and snow, but there is profit to be made there. Between the war amongst themselves and this talk of dragons flying the skies, there will be many opportunities along our route for sales."

Ma'jhad asked for more stories and Ma'dran smirked at his fellow khajiit before he stood up and moved back toward the merchant's tent.

She sat with him for a few more hours telling watered down stories before the other guard called out someone was on approach. Talen - Ai entered the camp and headed toward where she sat with the khajiit. "There you are, Shalaree. I was becoming worried when you hadn't returned. Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine Talen - Ai, just talking with my new friends, time must have gotten away from me. But I'm perfectly fine." She smiled up at him and he relaxed some.

"Find anything good amongst their wares?"

She nodded and held up her items, "they have a lot of weapons and armor too. Maybe Ma'dran will buy our excess before they head north to Skyrim. Sounds like they are going to need all the stuff they can get there." She went to stand up and the khajiit held up a hand. "It is close to the dinner hour, would you like to join us? Ma'jhad loves hearing your stories."

Talen - Ai shifted slightly but didn't say anything, he heard the purr coming from the other male and waited.

She smiled at the khajiit, "I really need to get back, but why don't you stop by with Ma'dran before you leave and we can talk some more while they are going through the items we have. I'd love to hear more about Elsweyr as well."

He stood up with her and took her hand in his, "yes, this khajiit would like that. You said you are heading toward the Imperial City, this caravan is heading there as well. The borders are heavily guarded and Ma'dran needs to get the pass approved. Maybe we shall meet there as well. This khajiit would like to spend more time getting to know you."

Shepard smiled, "maybe, we never know. I'll see you in the morning." She waved at the other two khajiits before following Talen - Ai back to their campsite.

He didn't say much, just glanced at her occasionally as they walked. When they arrived back she noticed he had all the skins stretched, a stack of firewood piled up and something cooking at the small fire. "I'll move the crates of gear toward the rear of the cart for them to look over. There isn't much left and those trolls really didn't have anything but alchemy ingredients." He walked past her and she looked at him with a slight frown.

"Alright, I'll just put this away. Was there anything you need me to do?"

He shook his head and just started moving stuff. Later on, he ate then crawled into their tent to sleep after a muttered goodnight. Shepard sat wondering what was going on with him.

 

* * *

 

When Shalaree didn't show up for lunch he became worried and went looking for her. He was hidden in the thick foliage on the far side of the khajiit's campsite and watched as she ate and talked with them. She looked happy and relaxed, listening to them tell of their travels and relating ones of her own. He had noticed the one male sitting close to her and didn't know how he really felt about that. His mind was telling him that nothing was going on, his body was saying something different. He sat and watched them for a while longer then went back to their own site.

Could it be that she really didn't want another lover that was so much like her Thane? Could it be that she would prefer a man or even a khajiit? Someone to keep her warm on the cold, dark nights that they would be heading into as they went further north. Maybe he had misread her interest in him and it was nothing more than a curiosity of a completely new race.

They were matched, he had told her that time and time again. The Hist had told them they were to be one. But ... he was having doubts. Would she be happier with someone else, someone that wouldn't remind her of her old lover every time her hand would touch them? He could not and would not go against the Hist nor would he dare to defy Sithis, what was he to do? She would have to be the one to break the pact if she wanted out. He couldn't see another way to let her go.

His mind would not quiet but he refused to toss and turn and alert her to his wakefulness. He would just have to hope that he could drift off and get a couple hours of sleep before it was his turn at watch.

 

* * *

 

The next morning he woke her up and just as they finished eating, the khajiit's arrived. Talen - Ai took the leader over to show them what they had while Shepard spoke with the other one.

"You are worried about your woman and Ma'jhad's interest in her? Don't be. He likes to flirt with the females we encounter but does nothing more. Shalaree intrigues him with her stories, and he wishes to hear more. Do not worry that she will stray from you."

Talen - Ai didn't respond just pulled out the closest crates and opened them, the khajiit was a fierce haggler but in the end, they settled on a fair price for everything. Ma'dran even bought a crate of smoked wolf meat to supplement his own stores. With only the two guards, they hunted along the way and only if something crossed their paths or wandered into the camp.

After another hour of haggling over different foodstuffs and a few alchemy ingredients, Ma'dran pronounced them finished and smiled at Talen - Ai, "it was a profitable trade for both of us."

They said their goodbyes to each other and Shepard waved as Ma'jhad turned back with a wave of his own before they disappeared down the small path pulling the small cart filled with goods behind them.

"Looks like they bought quite a bit of stuff."

Talen - Ai was still repacking what the khajiit had passed over and moving crates around to balance the cart. "Yes, most of the better equipment we still had left over, some meat and a few sacks of wild vegetables. He also bought some of the troll fat, but I didn't show him any of the enchanted things we picked up. They should be checked over first, some of it may be useful to us. We should be good for a while before needing to go to the towns or inns to try and sell. I think the horse will be recovered enough by tomorrow to get on the road again, as long as we take it slow and don't push him much. I have harvested what I could from the area, we have a good supply of ingredients, and meat and I plan on drying the fish I catch for the rest of the day."

"What did you want me to do?"

He paused for a moment. "Nothing really, I can handle it."

"Talen - Ai, what the hell is going on? Why are you acting so damn cold?" Shepard walked toward the cart where he was shifting sacks of wild onions and cabbages. "First you flirt and act crazy in the cave, then you grew cold and distant. Now you seem to be trying to cut yourself off completely."

"It's what you want right? You are going to go against what the Hist has proclaimed, what Sithis has done for you, for me. You throw it all back in their faces. They have given you something that is rarely offered, a second chance at a real life. A second chance to be with someone that can come to love you for eternity, if you would only let me. But no, you won't even try. You want to wallow in your past. Do you want to live in only the fading memories? Fine. But don't drag me into the mess it will cause with the Original Creator."

He got down off the cart and yanked off his boots, after releasing the straps, then came his shirt and pants. He stood there in his small clothes, the sun gleaming on his scales, and reached for a knife and a thin chain with several hooks on it. "I'm going fishing." He walked to the edge of the water and dove in.

She stood there staring at the spot for a while then went and gathered up some dry branches adding them to the low burning fire. She was still sitting on the log staring into the flames when he rose out of the water, a long string of fish hung from the hooks on the chain. He hung it on the side of the cart before grabbing his clothes. He noticed she still hadn't moved by the time he had dried off with his shirt and redressed.

He spent an hour cleaning the fish and putting them on the rack to dry near the fire before he sat on a small log opposite her. Neither one said anything for a long time before Talen - Ai got up to add more wood.

"I'm sorry. This is just ...", she looked up at him and rubbed her forehead. "I don't want to lose him. He meant everything and I went to my death thinking I would be with him. Not here. Not taken from everything I had known and thrust into a strange world and told that I was to marry a, well... unknown lifeform, all because of a tree, a TREE said so."

"You have had many months to come to understand the ways here, to understand who and what I am. To ask the Hist questions and to learn. Yet you do not. You learn only the fighting and little else. You haven't shared half of who and what you were and are with me that you did with the khajiit. Even when I had asked, you told me it was too painful to think about. When you finally come to understand that we never truly lose those we love, even when we let them go and move on with our lives, then maybe you'll fully understand the gift you were given."

He stood there for a moment more, "you once said we would try to settle when a home could be bought, but I am not so sure that you will. I am not so sure that you will not try to find an excuse, any excuse, to not follow through." He didn't glance back as he headed into the small wooded area after grabbing the axe from the side of the cart. Several minutes later she could hear the rhythmic hit of the axe against the wood.

 

* * *

 

The next morning they checked the area for anything they had missed then he hitched the horse and turned the cart north when they reached the main road. "The map shows another ruin several hours north of here, we should just make it before the sun sets if we don't encounter trouble on the way."

"Alright. Do you have any information on it other than the location?"

"From what I could see as I went past it, the ruins were small. Not much was growing outside and seemed pretty quiet. Didn't go in as I was in a bit of a hurry to get up to Skyrim ahead of the Imperials before they locked down the border. They have no love for my kind nor the khajiit either. That's pretty much it." His eyes were darting every which way looking for bandits or animals that would be a danger to the horse.

The only things they saw were deer on the side of the road that quickly ran into the thicker brush as they drew nearer. When Shepard's stomach growled he pulled to the side of the road and started rummaging in the back. He passed her a few things to eat then hopped down and took care of the horse, unhitching it and leading it to a patch of thick green grass before slipping the halter on and ground tying it. Once everyone was fed and the horse was able to drink water from the bucket Talen - Ai had dipped from their rain water barrel, they got ready to leave again. They arrived near the cut off several hours later.

"We can go in now or try and find somewhere to set camp."

"If it's as small as you think it is let's just go inside. We can set up camp when we come back out from clearing it all."

He nodded the reached under the seat for his bow and quiver, "drive the cart slowly through the grass here. If the horse balks, stop, there could be a trap or a hole. If I don't see you in a few minutes I'll come back." He got down and disappeared into the tree line before she could utter a sound.

Slapping the reins gently against the horse it started through the field at a slow pace, she estimated it took twenty minutes to make it through the field and for the ruins to come into sight. Talen - Ai was sitting on a boulder with several pieces of armor stacked up at his feet. "Trouble?"

He let out a small scoffing sound, "just two bandits, both of them melee and standing there talking. The arrows took them down before they even knew I was anywhere near them."

He tossed the gear into the back of the cart and hopped on, she moved to the back of the ruins and he made sure the area was clear before they went inside.

 

* * *

 

When they entered the ruins Talen - Ai noticed the strange lights but didn't want to spend to much time looking at them, at least until they got the area fairly well cleared. They were moving down the entry hall when a squeaking sound was heard, followed by a rat charging at them from near the doorway leading into an open room. Talen - Ai kicked it and it hit the wall with a thump. When they approached the lit room they saw two more rats coming at them and several blasts of fire took them down. Talen - Ai grimaced, "rats...this place is probably infested with the damn things."

They went into the lit room, Talen - Ai's gaze drawn to more of the strange glowing white crystals set in containers in several areas of the room. He took a few steps toward them then heard another rat squeaking, "Oblivion, these things are everywhere." He kicked it and it tumbled across the floor, as it reached the center of the room a giant ceiling spike trap fell, impaling the hapless rodent.

"Shit... I didn't even see it up there." Shepard muttered as the trap raised back up, the dead rat falling from the spike and landing with a splat.

"Me neither, we slow down a bit, I think. I want to see what these strange lights are, then open that chest." He took a more cautious step toward the lights, the stones glowing white looked like Varla stones but weren't, nor were they some type of glowing Welkynd stones.

"I don't know what these are. Never saw anything like them before." He backed away from them and went to see what was in the chest, careful to stay away from the trigger for the ceiling trap. He broke a pick trying to get it open. Finally, growling and swearing under his breath, they heard the faint click. When he opened it up he started muttering again, withdrawing the small armor repair hammer and an old sack of coins.

They moved to another area and there were several ways for them to go, left, right and a narrow passage straight ahead.

He rubbed his forehead and brought out the small pot of marking mixture, noticing he was getting low, then marked the passageway. He stood in front of it and brought up both hands, shooting a spurt of flame down the left and right areas. They saw a glimmer of what looked like metal down the left side, the right side looked like it went further after making a turn. He did the same with the passage in front of them, it too looked like it made a turn.

"Let's check out that glimmer we saw down this way then work our way back, just watch your step."

The passage was short and ended with a chest tucked along a wall, when he opened it he found a small sack of the old coins and tucked them in with the rest. They moved back to the intersection and after a brief discussion decided to go down the passageway, they agreed that since the ruins were small there was a really good chance that it would circle back around to this corridor.

The passage ended in a small room with what looked like a small balcony accessible by stairs. Another rat came running at them and this time Shepard twirled her staff and swung it along the ground, connecting with the rat and sending it flying. Talen - Ai looked at her.

She shrugged, "just like game called golf back on Earth. Only not played with rats, just small balls you had to hit and send toward a tiny hole in the ground that you couldn't see, except where the flag was standing." He scratched at the smooth plating on his forehead as he fluffed the feathers on his head.

"Alright, if you say so. That was a good hit, by the way." He crouched down to pick the lock on the chest that had been up against the wall as she leaned back against it.

"Yeah, when I was a kid, my dad used to play that with me. We went to a small place designed for children and families, not professionals. He learned it when he was a kid. He and my mother left to move to this other planet and start a colony. It was called Mindoir, the colony, not the planet." She twirled the staff a bit. "Dad and several of the other men built a little park for everyone to enjoy when they weren't working. Which wasn't too often at first from what I was told, building a colony was hard work for them all. But they persevered, and we had a lot of fun playing. At least for a while. Then something happened when I was sixteen that sort of sucked the fun out of everything. Nothing was ever really fun again." Her voice had tapered off into something like a low cracked whisper.  
  
He looked up at her, knowing that she was sharing something she probably hadn't told too many. After he took out the coins and used his talon to scrape out the small gem that had fallen into a crack in the chest he stood up. "When we leave here, if you want to talk about it, I'll listen. Maybe it will help, maybe it won't, but I'll listen."

She glanced up into his plated and scaled face and shrugged. She was forced to talk about it with so many therapists and it hadn't worked. But after what he said she realized she really hadn't taken the time to get to know him or let him get close to know her either, only what the connection through the Hist had shown.

"Let's keep going before it gets too late. With this place crawling with rats, I really don't want to be in here for long. I hate rats. Did I ever tell you that?"

She gave a slight snort, "yeah, it was sorta noticeable each time we encountered them."

He gave a grunt then started to search for another exit. He found one on the southernmost wall and they walked through into the next room which was well lit. He heard a hum noise as she started forward, "hey, look at that weird stone."

"Shit!"  
  
He grabbed her, yanking her backward and had her almost pinned to the wall when he gave a hiss and grunted as the trap discharged, hitting him in the back, throwing him forward and sandwiching her between him and the hard stone. He dropped his head to the wall and cast his healing spell. "That... weird stone is a magical trap and a nasty one at that. It will fire a spell at you when you get within its range. In this case, it discharges lightning. You can't hide from it, you can't sneak past it. You can stay out of its range though." He panted as he kept his spell up as long as he could then drank both a blue and red potion.

"Talen?" She tried to look into his eyes only he had his forehead resting on his arm.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute." He took several deep breaths then rotated around to see what the set up in the room was. A chest right in front of the stone and the stone in the middle of the room, with plenty of leeways to stay out of its range, as long as you hugged the wall.

"Alright, listen to me. You stay near the wall, work your way around the edge of the room to the right. I'll dash straight across, flip the chest open and keep going to the other side. As long as I don't trip I should be able to make it. Once it powers back down, I'll run back, stop long enough to grab what's in there and move, hopefully, it won't take me more than one or two trips across to grab everything."

"You're freaking nuts. Just forget about the box, and move on from this crazy place."

"No. That box may contain something good. I can do this. Just stay against the wall." He moved to where he could run straight across between the chest and stone then took a deep breath before letting it out.

He ran for all he was worth, hearing the stone charging up and seeing it start to glow, he paused just long enough to throw the lid up before taking off for the other side of the room. Just barely making it out of its range before it fired.

"Talen!"

"I'm fine. Nothing happened, just stick to the wall. The chest is open, I just have to grab what's inside." Once the sound had stopped and the crystal had once more grown dark, he charged back across the room, reached into the chest and grabbed a sack, then tore off to the other side.

"What was in there?" Her shout echoed in the large room.

He opened the bag and looked inside, "it's a healing coffer. This bag has about ten potions that are still usable. I think there was another sack in there too. As soon as I get these into the travel bag I'll go back for the other bag."

"Alright, I'm at the corner. I'm heading down the right wall now."

Talen - Ai took another breath after wrapping the bundle of potions up and putting them into his pouch then ran back toward the chest, he stopped long enough to grab the two pouches then ran.

A zap was heard then he yelled, "son of an egg sucking, netch humping bastard!"

"What the hell was that all about? Are you alright?" Shepard yelled back trying not to laugh at him cursing.

"Damn crystal shot me in the tail! I think it chipped one of my plates. I got the last two bags out of there. Stay where you are I'm coming around to you now." He opened the bag seeing over a dozen more healing potions in the one bag and slim phials containing swirling red liquid in the other. He would take a closer look at them once they were out of the ruin.

He moved around the side of the wall, passing the opening and then meeting her alongside the other one. "We got quite a nice cache of healing potions now. I passed the doorway into the next area. We're far enough away that we don't have to slide along the wall here. You ready?" She nodded and went to step around him when her foot sank about an inch into the floor.

"Uh oh." She braced herself for whatever was going to fall on her, or smash her or poison her, only to hear a rumbling as the wall moved revealing a hidden room. His brow plate raised up and she only shrugged and scratched the side of her nose.

"Wait here and don't move." He went into the room and a few seconds later had the chest open. A sack of coins, a few gems, and a scroll was inside. "When we find a place in the Imperial City, I'll go through all those scrolls we've picked up and see what will be good to keep and what we can sell, hopefully, it will offset the cost of having those rings and armors identified. We're sure to find a better deal in the capital city than in the smaller guilds."

They walked around and heard yet another rat, Talen - Ai hung his head and Shepard let out a laugh. That laugh was enough to gain the rodent's attention and it started to run down the hallway toward her, all of a sudden blades swung out from the wall cutting the animal down.

"You have got to be fricken kidding me... what the hell was wrong with these people?" Shepard groaned as she watched the blades swinging back and forth. "How the hell are we going to get through there without being sliced into tiny pieces."

"Listen to me, Shalaree." He waited until she looked up at him. "Between each blade is a large enough place for you to stand. You must time it. One blade swings into the wall and you move to the space and wait. Then when the blade in front of you swings, you do it again, until you are through. You don't run, you don't dash, you don't hurry. You time it and you wait until you are sure of it, then you go. Do you understand?"

She met his eyes and swallowed before she wiped her palms on her leather covered legs. "Alright, I'll go first and when I call out the clear you start. There is no rushing. Take as long as you need." He stroked her cheek with one hand, his scaled thumb brushing her. "You can do this. I'll be waiting on the other side for you."

He moved in front of the first blade and watched, counted the seconds it took for a complete swing into the recess in the wall, as soon as it touched the hole he took several steps past it then stopped. After the third blade it opened into a small area, there was another set of blades past that area as well.

"Shalaree? Can you hear me?" He shouted back at her.

"Yeah." Her wavering answer came back.

"There are three blades then a space for you to stop and rest. When you are ready head through. Then I'll go past the final set of blades."

"Alright." She took several steps in front of the blade, "this has got to be one of the craziest, stupidest things I've ever done. The damn Reapers were less troublesome than these damn traps. I can just imagine Garrus' face as he saw this. His mandibles flicking at me, giving me that look." She moved past the first blade. "Then there would be Liara, she would probably be too enthralled by the ruins to even care, I mean ... I found her in a ruin, trapped behind a barrier because she activated a prothean device without even knowing what it did." She scooted past the other blade and rubbed the sweat from her forehead. "Then there would be good ole' Wrex. Oh yes, he'd laugh then charge right on through, probably breaking the blades right off the damn poles as he went." Her voice lowered into a deep, husky drawl. 'What's wrong, Princess? Don't have the quads for this? What kind of krogan battlemaster are you?' Oh, I can hear him and he would laugh until he got me so pissed I would run through and probably get chopped into little pieces." She hurried past the last blade and saw Talen - Ai standing there with his arms crossed staring at her.

"You heard me talking to myself didn't you?"

"Uh huh. Sounds like an interesting bunch of people." He turned and made his way past the last set of blades, with Shepard following shortly after.

They stopped for a moment and Shepard drank some water from her waterskin. "The ones you heard me talking about were crew members of mine. All of them were non-humans and some of the best fighters and friends I could have ever hoped for. They helped me in that war, Garrus stuck by me no matter what. Liara, well, she had something bigger to do when I had come back from the dead the first time. And Wrex, he led his people, brought them under one house and brought order and honor back to them. Sometimes I wonder what became of them if they survived. If what I had sacrificed was worth it or if it was just another lie by those damn machines."

"From the sounds of it you had quite a few adventures other than just fighting those...what did you call them? Reapers?"

They started down the passage again talking quietly, "yeah. Mostly military stuff, then the whole prothean beacon thing occurred and I got these jumbled images, that were really advanced messages, in my head foretelling the coming invasion. Only a handful of people ever believed or helped me through that entire mess. My crew, all of my crew, were the ones that kept me going. Some more than others, near the end, they were doing their best in other parts of the fight. Or had passed on. They were the ones you saw as I blew up the machine."

They stopped before they entered the next room, "one of those was your Thane. If you don't mind me asking, who were the other two?"

"The machine, his name was Legion, he was what was called a geth. Only he was a special one, his run times were contained within the mobile platform and he had no need to interface with the Consensus to retain his intelligence."

He stood there staring down at her and scratching the side of his neck, "uh. I didn't understand any of that past the machine's name was Legion."

She grinned and gave a light laugh, "let's just say he was one of a kind. He became fully self-aware, fully alive, just minutes before he sacrificed himself to bring that awareness to the rest of his people. The other was a doctor, scientist, a true genius. We were sent to find him, to recruit him to stop the creatures that were kidnapping entire colonies of humans. When we found him he was in a slum area, running a clinic and had developed a cure for the plague that was killing everyone in the slums, except for the humans. That plague wasn't a natural one, it was created by the creatures. There is a long story behind those things, one we shouldn't get into in this ruin. But anyway, we found him and he helped me to stop those damn things. Then he helped to cure an entire species of a genetically engineered genophage, a means of controlling the population growth of krogan, only it went on for too long and went too far. He corrected their mistakes from earlier."

He let out a hum. "Even though I only understood part of that, thank you for sharing it with me."

She gave him a weak grin and slight nod before they turned to finish up the rest of the ruin.

The next room they found contained yet another rat and two passageways. Marking the one closer to the north, since it was more likely to be one that circled back toward the exit, they headed down the lower one. It emptied out above a large room.

"Yeah, there is something here alright." He muttered as he looked around, "I'll go first you follow right behind and keep your eyes open."

He jumped down and took several steps before he heard it. "Gas traps, I don't know how many."

"Either whoever owned this damn place was sadistic or just plain paranoid. This is ridiculous."

The eased their way down the center of the room until, _**slam!**_ A set of blades dropped from the ceiling almost slicing into Talen - Ai. They backed up several steps.

"Shit, that was close."

He bent over until he could calm himself then stood up, his tail swung out to the side then back again, bumping into Shepard. "Cover your mouth and slip between those two pillars, keep going until you reach the wall. I'll be right behind you. Hopefully, there is a way around this center area."

They followed the wall around and paused beside another hallway. "Let's go down there and get away from this gas for a bit, I'm feeling a bit nauseous," Shepard said around her arm that she was using to cover her mouth. He nodded and they headed down the passage, killing the rat that was standing in the middle of it and finding two chests. He added the coins and gems to his pouch and tucked the scroll and potions into hers before they turned around and headed back.

"You ready?"

At her nod, they hugged the wall and when they reached the end they saw there was no way completely around it. "Damn it. Let me take a look." He eased back up to the center area, a secondary blade trap slammed down and he let out a hiss. "I can see a room past this trap and a doorway to the north. Come on up and stay beside me, watch your step so you don't trigger the full release of that damn gas."

"Yeah, yeah... I get it already." She inched her way up until she was right behind him. The trap raised and he ran for the doorway into the other room.

"Five seconds from the time the blades start to raise."

As soon as they got high enough she ran for him. They found several more chests and one contained another cache of healing potions. They waited until the blade raised then they both ran around the corner and headed for the other doorway on the northern wall. Talen- Ai fried the rat that was in the tunnel without bothering to stop their trek down the hallway. When they reached an intersection he told her to wait while he went to check the other way. A few minutes later he came jogging back.

"Just what I thought, that way leads to that one room where we decided to go south. That means this hallway leads back toward the entrance, let's get the hell out of this rat hole."

He growled when he saw it... yet another rat standing in front of the passage to the north. "I can't believe this. It's like a nightmare." This one he shot and it went skittering down the passageway, he gave it a kick for good measure as they went past it.

When they reached the entrance he took a deep breath then went around the back of the ruin to check on the horse and cart before setting up their tent for the night. She could have sworn she heard him grumbling about a plague of rats.


	18. Chapter 18

* * *

 

 

They were once again on the road after unloading their bags and packing their equipment away. Talen - Ai had unfurled the map and they discussed whether to continue to head north on the Yellow Road or cut to the east and check out the other Ayleid ruin near an Inn. They decided to forego that one as it would take them more than two hours each way off the main road. So they rumbled along, stopping once in a while to gather herbs and they talked. Shepard finally started to open up a bit about what her life had been like telling him the real stories of her trials during the Reaper war, not the watered down and changed ones she had the khajiits.

They stopped for lunch before crossing the bridge over the Panther River. "We're about three hours from the next ruin if we keep the same pace and there are no troubles." He flipped the map over and looked at the notation he had for the Morahame ruin. "Hmm, from my notes it looked small, a few herbs scattered about. Of course, I don't know what's in it, if anything. There were wolves spotted nearby, but that's all the notes I took on it."

About an hour before sunset they reached the partially overgrown pathway leading off the main road toward where the ruin looked to be. "Let's clear out anything outside then set up camp. We can go in first thing in the morning."

There were indeed wolves right off the main road. Talen - Ai scouted slightly ahead while Shepard led the wagon on foot, her staff of sparks held in one hand. She stopped as she saw him running back toward her. "Trouble," he hissed as he stopped next to her.

"What kind of trouble?" The grip on her staff tightened as she peered around in the ever-growing darkness.

"The spriggan kind. There is one up ahead. We need to leave the wagon here, keep the horse out of her range." They tied the reins to a tree and slipped a feed bag over his mouth. Hopefully with the horse eating it wouldn't make too much noise.

After their fight with the creature ended and Talen - Ai set about removing the ingredients from the spriggan and preparing the bear meat and skin from the animal it had summoned, she went back to bring in the wagon.

When she woke Talen- Ai for his watch he once again noticed a pair of dead mud crabs piled next to the cart. They must have wandered too close to the camp. He had them taken care of and the area cleaned up well before it was time to wake her and head inside the ruin.

 

* * *

  
As they walked down the stairs to get into the ruin they checked their bags and readied their weapons, "ok, here we go. By all the Divines, no rats this time."

Shepard let out a laugh and he smiled before pushing the stone that opened the door.

They started down the hallway and heard the bellowing of a troll at the same time Talen - Ai was hit with something cold. "Damn it!"

He held the flame on the troll as Shepard cast the sparks from the weapon at the imp that had been hiding down a different passage, finishing it off with a solid thunk from the staff and sending it into the wall. The ingredients removed from the creatures they decided to keep going down the same hallway which dead-ended. They could see the room below them and as Talen -Ai picked the lock on the small chest they found, Shepard looked down into the holes in the floor.  
  
"It looks like a big open room, and I think I see some type of fire down there."

Talen- Ai took out all the stuff from the small chest and took a peek down the hole as well. "We'll head back to that other passageway. I don't want to just drop down in there, that room looks rather large and we can't see enough of it."

The hallway turned and headed down another set of stairs, another troll was in the room it led to and was quickly dispatched and harvested. "I hope to Oblivion the Mage's Guild or an apothecary buys all this damn troll fat, I'm starting to run low on pouches."

Shepard looked out into the room they saw from the holes and pointed out the Welkynd stones surrounding the bonfire in the middle of the room, as he picked the lock on a small chest he found in an alcove. He held up the empty grand soul gem with a grin before placing it in his pouch. He looked around the room below them and then they went down the long winding hallway that ended up in the same room.

Talen - Ai heard the squeak of a rat and let out a snarl. Shepard snickered as she watched him stomp toward where the sound came from. He no sooner got rid of the rodent than she was struck with a spark of lightning from another imp in the room off to the side. He took it down with his flame and a final blow from his sword then removed the gallbladder, dropping it into a pouch as Shepard made another "yuck" noise from where she sat on a broken piece of a pillar on the floor. When she recovered they looked around some more finding a way leading down to another area that was knee deep in water.

"Let's go back and get those stones and finish looking through the area where that imp was, it looked like it opened a bit further in." He said to her as he crouched down trying to see further down the partially flooded hallway.

He picked her up, sitting her on his shoulders as she took down the two stones off the holders that were placed on tall pillars on either side of the bonfire. He tucked them into his pouch and they headed toward the side room. They heard the slamming of heavy blades and saw movement further in the room along with several more stones. After killing another two imps and another troll they finished the room. He once again lifted her up on his shoulders as she pulled out the stones from the holders. She jerked a bit as he squeezed her thighs and felt his thumbs rub along their sides. Her own hand landed on top of his head more than once and wondered what those feathers would have felt like if she had been without her thick leather gloves.

They heard a loud banging noise and moved a bit closer to the edge of the walkway and looked over it, to see a partially flooded room and in the middle was another one of those magical stone traps. He barely had enough time to move far enough away from the edge before a blast of cold hit the side of the pillar he had been leaning against.

"Well I guess we can safely say there is a trap in that flooded room, it's up to you if you want to go down in there or not, but look between those two blade traps across the way there, I can see what looks like a large chest." His finger pointed to a large object between two blades and she nodded.

"Let's go get the chest then leave, I'm not too thrilled with the thought of wading through all that water and probably not finding anything down there."

After the lock was picked he pulled out the sack of old coins, several scrolls and a handful of gems. He tossed the rotten clothing over the side, after checking for any hidden items, then removed the two potions and soul gems he found, putting them in his packs. "Alright, that's all of it, let's get out of here."

After she tossed together something for them to eat and he finished gathering up the rest of the herbs around the entrance, they packed up and headed out.

 

* * *

 

They reached the bridge before nightfall and he pulled the wagon over into some heavy brush before setting up their tent and bringing out the map.

He took a large bite of the sandwich she had made him as he looked over the area. "Okay, we are going to be in this area for a while, there is a good size ruin here to the west on this side of the river, then we backtrack and cross the bridge heading west along the river, there are two forts over there that I need to fetch wine from."

Shepard pointed to the area of the map, "this is pretty blank, is there anything else here?"

He shrugged, "not really sure. I do know that over to the east of the road is an Inn, but its pretty far out of the way. I didn't hear any other rumors about what was here, just the general location of those forts. When we get done at this fort here, Fort Aurus, we'll cut through here and head back toward the road. This is forest area, so we may run into some random things and it may be slow going with the cart, but otherwise, we would need to backtrack along the river. We'll be in this area maybe a week, depending on what we run into and if we need to rest up for injuries. We'll be near the water so I can get us fresh fish to eat and if the water is safe to bathe in, we can swim a little and clean our stuff up."

"What do you mean safe to bathe in? If you go in there to fish it should be alright to swim, right?" Shepard finished her food as he rolled up the map, seeing him shake his head no.

"No. There are things that live in the water that will attack you, slaughterfish for one thing, they are quite dangerous. They look like regular fish but are aggressive, it's why I also take a knife with me when I go in to fish. I'll check for their eggs and any that are in the area, once I clear them out it should be safe for you to go in."

Before dawn the next morning they packed up their gear and headed west along the river. He stopped the wagon in a thicket of trees and bushes before they climbed down. They slowly made their way toward the ruins, Talen stopping and waiting several times before moving on. As they got closer to the large arches and pillars of the ruins they heard the clicking and clattering that she had heard once before; skeletons. Three of them came from near the steps into the ruins were located.

He looked over the dropped weapons and collected the ingredients from the bones as Shepard looked around. "Talen - Ai, I found two chests. One is locked, the other one was another of those caches of healing potions. There's also a bunch of flowers growing around here and one of those plants that glow. Also when I was down near the shore, I saw a building on the other side of the river. Looked like some type of church or something, I don't remember seeing it marked on your map." He nodded at her then pulled out the contents of the chest he just opened.

The locked chest she found contained what he referred to as a bandit's wilderness stash, a couple of potions, a handful of mixed silver and gold nuggets and he held up a small pouch that contained a decent number of lockpicks as he grinned at her. He pulled out his map and she took him to the spot she had been standing in, he frowned as he studied the map and landmarks. "You're right, I don't have a mark on here." He removed his quill and inkpot, placed a tiny mark on the map and made a notation on the back of it. "We'll scout and check it on the way to the fort."

She stashed the weapons he handed to her in a crate near the back of the wagon while he collected the herbs, dropping the pouches into a crate they kept just for the apothecary.

He climbed in the back of the wagon and handed her several sacks filled with food items and an extra waterskin before placing the same in his pack. He rooted around in another pack and brought out two torches. "Not much, but these might come in handy in this larger place, they will only burn for a few hours each but it's better than nothing. Don't use it unless we really need it, they didn't have any more at the general goods store. How are your potions?"

She checked her bag, her quick find slots were filled and the two pouches she had for her extra's were filled as well, thanks to the caches they had found. "Plenty."

They moved to the door and went in. The inside was dark and at first eerily quiet, then they heard strange, loud breathing and Shepard jumped and whispered, "what the fuck makes that sound?"

Talen - Ai swallowed and backed up a few steps toward the door. "Powerful wraiths. This place must be filled with more undead." A clattering of bones and an echo of a moan could barely be heard over their own pounding hearts.

He closed his eyes, the memory of their last encounter with a wraith going through his mind. He pulled his enchanted bow out of his pack along with a quiver full of bright silver tipped arrows. "We take this slow, careful and quiet. Every corner, every alcove checked so nothing comes up behind us. Rooms cleared and double checked before we stop to collect the treasure. Don't use those torches unless we have to, the heat, as well as the light, will make us detectable. Use your attack staff, don't let these bastards get close. Ready?"

She gripped the staff and checked her bag for the small gems she would need to recharge it, moving one near her quick find slots. "Okay, now I'm ready."

The crept down the short hallway, turning left at an intersection, it was a short passage with a locked gate and no discernable way to open it. "The key must be on the other side. Let's go back."

They stopped as he spotted something moving in the shadows through an opening along the bottom of the wall. He drew the arrow back and aimed, he let it loose, hearing a scream from the creature and a stream of purple glow swirled around his pouch before entering it. He let out a breath until he heard the breathing again, nocking another arrow they waited, unmoving until the shadows seemed to darken in one area and he drew the arrow back and let it go. An ungodly screeching was heard and another swirl of purple was seen entering the pouch as they heard a loud clatter of something metallic falling to the stone floor.

They stood and moved down the corridor that turned and opened in to the room they had spotted the undead creatures in. They worked their way quietly around the room, the light given off by the stones set high in the walls and hanging in cages from the ceiling barely illuminated the room but they didn't want to take the chance on being spotted. He knelt down beside the pile of rotten, ragged cloth and carefully lifted it.

"I was right, this one was a wraith." He took out a pouch and scraped up the greenish goo that was laying in a puddle. "This isn't ectoplasm ...", his low voice barely carried to her as he pulled out a small book from his pouch and moved closer to one of the pools of light from a stone and started turning pages in it. His finger moved down the page then along one of the lines as he read the description. His eyes flicked up to hers and he put the pouch and book back into his bag. "Wraith Essence. These are not regular ones ... Shalaree, we may be in deep shit here."

He moved back toward the rotten rags and knelt back down, glancing around trying to find what had fallen. "It dropped a weapon, we need to find it." Another few minutes and Shalaree's foot nudged something.

"Here." He knelt down and picked up the longsword, wrapping it in the rags from the wraith and placing it in his bag.

"You're not going to make sure it's worth carrying?" She hissed as they started to move again.

"It's worth it. Wraiths that can use weapons, either use elven or glass longswords. Either one is worth a bit of gold, as is that goo I scraped up. It's worth quite a bit of coin, Shalaree and is rare. Another creature dropped in here, we need to find it and see what else we are up against in here."

They found a body in the middle of the room with a staff on the floor near it, Talen - Ai hissed then slowly crouched down and rolled it over. Shalaree let out a gasp at the skeletal figure. "What is it?"

"A lich, a nether lich to be more exact. Magic user and can conjure more undead. Grab that staff and stuff it in your bag, anything these things drop will be enchanted." He checked the ruined clothing, finding several gold coins and then reached for his dagger and a small jar inside his apothecary bag and started scraping the bones. When he was finished he held up the jar and saw it was about a fifth of the way filled with greyish dust. He carefully placed the stopper in the jar and put it back inside the bag.

"Slow and easy, Shalaree, let's move."

The doorway led into another room with Welkynd stones lined up along both walls, they heard a screech in front of them and Shalaree sent out a lightning spark as Talen sent out an arrow, a wail was heard as was another clatter of something dropping, then silence. Each of them moved along the wall grabbing the stones down until they reached the middle of the room. He hurried over, in the remaining light of the crystals, picked up the golden colored weapon and carefully lifted the rags away from the puddle, before gathering everything. The rest of the stones were gathered and they moved forward into the next room, after standing and listening for noises.

The room was searched with only one chest being found behind some rocks and broken pillars. Talen - Ai checked it over, letting out a muttered curse as he found the flame trap. "It's trapped, it has to have something good in it." He looked around and scratched his forehead. "Stand over there in the corner." She backed up and watched as he crouched between a rock and the pillar, most of his body protected and he reached around, stuck a pick in the lock and wiggled it before quickly jerking back. The next thing she saw was a bout of flame from next to the lock.

"Sneaky bastards." He growled as the flames died down and they moved back in front of the chest. He pointed to the melted lock and used his dagger to pry the lid up. The sack of old coins and gems was placed with the others, he handed her the scrolls and two rings from inside. The book and empty soul gems were put in his bags. They heard the same loud breathing and a moan and they scrambled to get ready. Arrows and sparks flew down the hallway, loud screeches and screams echoed back.

As they rounded the corner and picked up their loot, she pointed to a small alcove. He opened the chest, taking out the pouch of coins and a blue swirling potion bottle, tucking them away. When Shalaree took a step toward the gate it opened up and she froze. He looked around and gave her a nod before she lifted her foot, the gate didn't shut and she frowned as they moved through it. As they took a step into the room another door slid open and they were attacked by a wraith and a rather large skeleton. Talen kept backing up trying to get a shot in while Shepard hit the skeleton with her staff and sent sparks at both of the undead creatures.

Talen hurried back to where she was leaning against a wall and breathing heavily. "Let's clear this alcove and make sure nothing else is right around here, then we can rest before continuing on. My nerves are drawn as taut as a bowstring in this place." She nodded and they each checked a different alcove. She brought back a handful of coins and two potions from an unlocked chest she found and he added them to the ones he found, handing her a set of slightly glowing gloves to tuck into her pack. They moved out of the alcove, worried the door that had slid open could at any time close again. They tucked themselves behind a large table in another alcove and rested for a bit. Eating something and checking for injuries before taking care of their bodily necessities, cleaning up and moving on.

They entered another large room and didn't have much of a chance to look around before another wraith was bearing down on them. They heard the heavy breathing of another one and carefully made their way around a bunch of pillars in the room, spotting the creature and sending out sparks and silver arrows. They searched the room finding several small chests tucked away in niches in a few of the alcoves. The swords and ingredients were collected and tucked away.

"Shalaree, my pack is starting to feel heavy. I'll pass you the weapons to store in your pack from now on, and the lighter weight items into my pack." He was leaning against the wall, the bottom of a chainmail covered boot pressed to his own leather covered one to try and see if the pair he found in one of the chests would fit him. He gave a grunt before sitting on the floor and changing out the boots. He stood up and stomped a bit then left his old leather ones in the chest. "Not too bad. Ready?" She nodded and they walked toward the rune carved door that usually led to a set of stairs into another area.

When they walked down the stairs they heard the clattering of bones and readied their weapons. He peeked around the corner and saw several purplish skeletons and pulled his head back around. "Skeletons. A nearby lich is conjuring them. Keep your eyes open," he whispered into her ear before readying his bow.

Shalaree sat in the corner with her torch lit, applying wound salve to her cuts and muttering about her how her armor was getting pretty banged up, as he gathered the ingredients and opened the chests. He knelt down laying out the staff, helm and another set of boots. "The boots and helm aren't enchanted, but they are orcish, see the green tint on them. They'll bring in a bit of coin for us. I'm hoping when we can afford to have those enchanted ones checked out they are decent. We've got several pieces that if the enchants are good on them, will replace what we are using now." He checked her wounds, "I'll work on repairing your cuirass after we get out of here."

They packed the items up and he took several steps before she hissed at him to hold up. She dug out the small soul gem and he handed her another pouch when the gem shattered he told her to hold onto the pouch until it was completely filled, he was short on bags.

They moved toward the next area, weaving their way around the table-like objects in the room and noticed a fairly strong glow from the ceiling of the next area. They also heard more sounds and looked around while they stayed in the shadowed area. Talen pointed toward one of the large pillars that was in partial shadow and she saw what he had, the darker areas were moving.

This time it was her moving around while he recovered from the blast of cold he was hit with, along with the sword hit he had taken before she could send in another spark to kill the wraith. She gathered up the fallen weapons and spotted several Welkynd stones up near the ceiling. She dug her other staff from her pack and brought them down. She dumped it all in front of him as he sat there with a cup of steaming herb mixture. "There is a big chest right in the middle of the room and one more locked in a small alcove, the others I cleaned out." She found the bag that had the other stones for him and she tucked them inside of it before putting it back, then she moved the stuff around in her pack before putting the weapons inside, still shaking her head at the wonder that a backpack could hold so much and items that were quite a bit larger than it was.

When he had shaken off the worst of the cold and healed his injuries he went to open the chests, tucking everything into his pack. The hallway they entered twisted and turned then opened into a room with several table-like structures lining the wall, Talen - Ai opened the chest they found and stashed the old coins and ancient lockpicks into his pouch before they moved on. The noise they heard told them yet another wraith was ahead, so they slowed down as the hall turned to empty out into another room similar to the last.

Shepard hissed the chest she found was locked as Talen -Ai gathered the stuff from the fallen wraith. The chest was opened and looted before they moved further down the room. The next room had a strange green glow coming from the ceiling and they heard the rattle of bones. Talen - Ai smiled to her as he pointed out the huge weapon the one skeleton, standing under the glow, held in his hands. The strong bluish-white light of the weapon told him it had a strong enchantment on it, one of cold. He drew his arrow and aimed for the skull. The clatter of the bones and weapon falling to the floor alerted the other skeleton. When it ran into the light another arrow found its mark dropping that one as well.

When there was nothing but silence they moved into the room and searched it before he picked up the weapon. A two-handed claymore, heavy as hell, but the coins to be made from selling it would more than make up for lugging it through the rest of the dungeon. It took some doing and some arguing over what to leave behind but finally, they slid it into her pack.

The doorway they found led them up to a balcony surrounding the green glowing room, it was fairly well lit and they stayed near the wall until they found a set of steps heading up that ended in another rune carved door. They sat on the steps to eat and sort through their potions, making sure each had enough of the healing ones.

The door slid open revealing a long hallway with several alcoves and niches, a few chests were opened and picked through until they found another large room. The wraith and lich inside were defeated and they searched the room finding several chests that Shepard opened while listening to the scrape - scrape of Talen's dagger, as he worked on filling another jar with lich dust. When he was finished they moved toward the only doorway. As they rounded the corner another of those strange gates automatically opened and they hesitated for a moment before they walked through.

They paused and listened but didn't hear anything, they slowly made their way around the room. When they made it back to the original door they looked at each other, then went to gather the Welkynd stones and Varla stones they had passed by, along with the locked chest. "No enemies?" she hissed.

He shrugged and walked down a short set of steps checking all the nooks and crannies along the lower part of the wall. He stopped along the back wall, faintly hearing a moan coming from behind it and took a step back. "There's something on the other side of this wall." They looked for a button or switch, not finding anything. He once more stood in front of it, his hand running along a rectangularly shaped indent in it. "There must be a sort of key to open this."

"So we can't go any further?"

He shook his head no, then pulled out his map, quill and ink pot making a notation on the back in tiny precise lettering. "Let's get out of here, we got what we could." They worked their way back toward the beginning, stopping to grab the two swords they had left behind since they weren't quite full after all and left.

The darkness of early night greeted them as they made their way to the wagon, he hitched the horse and they headed back closer to the road stopping in the thicket and spreading out a bedroll.

 

* * *

 

Early the next morning they unloaded their bags and he set about separating it all into different crates or chests, boxes or barrels as she put away the bedroll and took off her cuirass for him to mend.

It was mid-morning before they got back on the road and crossed the bridge to the other side of the river. They followed it toward where they saw the building. They slowed the cart, bringing it to a halt and climbing down before they entered the clearing. It was definitely some type of chapel, but they didn't see any movement around the outside. Talen drew his sword while she readied her telekinesis staff.

The door was not locked and from what he could tell it had been opened quite recently, the dirt and leaves were disturbed and the door pull had no dirt on it. He glanced at her and she gave a short nod. He yanked the door open and they burst inside, seeing two mages starting to cast and a dead body on the floor slowly raising up. Talen - Ai struck the one while she started objects flying toward the other. While that mage was trying to protect himself, she struck down the body that had just gained its footing then cracked the other one in the head with the silver end of her staff.

They both frowned as they saw the desecration to the alter the necromancers had done. They searched the bodies, discovering the non-mage was a treasure hunter. They took all the ingredients and jars, both filled and empty, along with every pouch and bag he could find. The two partially decomposed bodies were hauled into a small storeroom as Shepard complained about the smell and the grossness of it all and almost vomited on them, then they moved the necromancers. The treasure hunter they took outside and put him behind the chapel. Talen dug a small grave as Shepard loaded the stuff into the cart.

When he was done they went back inside and looked around some more. Shepard pointed to a small engraving near the door that read Cadlew Chapel. He opened the small chest next to where the dead breton had been, finding some gold coins, a soul gem, and a few steel arrows.

"There's a ladder here going up," Shepard called out as he lowered the lid and he walked over and followed her up. They found another chest and skeleton at the top. After he emptied it and kicked the bones over the side of the cupola, he turned to where he heard her gasp, seeing her leaning on the railing and looking out over the river toward Bravil.

He came up behind her taking in the view as well, one of his arms circled her and he pointed to the fort that was on an island and to the dock on the beach at the bottom of the hill. "That is Fort Grief, our next stop. There's a boat down by the dock, at least we won't have to try and swim over there with our gear."

She had tensed up for a moment when she felt his arm about her, then forced herself to relax. She looked to where he pointed and then felt him nuzzling the back of her head.

"I can't help it, Shalaree. I was going to let you go, but I can't go against the Hist or Sithis. It is who I am, who we are. We hear the call and obey. We have been given to each other. Me to you, as someone that is able to help you find love again and a fulfilled life. You to me, as a reward, for a deed I performed many years ago in service to the Hist and our people. Someone unique, someone that can show me what it is to love and be loved. Shalaree, give us a chance. Give me a chance."

He slowly turned her around and cupped her face with his one hand. His green eyes staring down into hers, "please?" His head lowered and she closed her eyes as she felt the rough tip of his tongue slide against her lips. His own eyes closed when he felt her part her lips and touch her own tongue to his.

They were both breathing heavily when the kiss ended, his forehead was against hers and he huffed out a breath, "I need a rather cold swim. Let's relax a bit, it's fairly safe. We can swim, wash clothing and spend the night here. We can lay out our bedrolls, here in the cupola, and both of us get a full nights sleep before heading out in the morning."

"Okay, sounds good." Her hands flexed on his shoulders before she stepped backward out of the circle of his arms.

He moved the horse and cart close to the chapel, as he was fishing and making sure the immediate area was clear of any slaughterfish, she unhitched the horse and took care of it. The rest of the day was spent washing their clothing and spreading it on the dock to dry, starting a fish stew to cook while they swam and played in the water.

After dinner, he checked over the rowboat making sure there were no leaks as she cleaned up and gathered their clothing. The bedrolls were spread out and he blew out the lantern after they laid down to sleep. "Good night, Shalaree," he whispered to her as he laid his arm on her waist. She listened to the night sounds as she tried to calm herself and sleep, eventually drifting off when he did no more than gently snore, the puffs of warm air from him stirring her hair.

The next morning they headed toward the fort when they got there the gate was down and he let out several curses. The wheel to open it was rusted over and wouldn't budge.

"Damn it, I need those bottles from inside there if I'm ever going to get that stupid promise done with." He kicked a rock and heard a splash as it landed in the water.

"You said those bottles were located in several different forts right?"

He nodded to her as he tried to yank the rusted wheel again. "Then let's figure out what other forts are close by and try those. There has to be more than just this one and the one further up there."

"There are, but they are out of the way a bit and I want this behind us." He let go of the wheel and opened the map. "Fort Aurus is the closest, that would have been the last location. This one here, to the East of the Imperial City, Fort Magia, was another one she gave me, rumored to have it. As well as ...", he unfurled the map a bit more and looked over it, "Fort Carmala, more than a week by cart to the west of the City, and Fort Scinia, close to a week to the east of the city." He pointed to two more forts that were even further out of their way to the west.

"Well, let's go to these two, they are on the way. If we don't find the wine there, then we can set out for one of the other places after we reach the city and take care of business."

"Alright," he rolled the map and put it back in his bag before they got back in the boat and rowed to the other dock. It was late morning before they reached the other Fort.

As they climbed from the cart the two deer that had been eating grass in front of the fort ran off into the woods. "There doesn't seem to be anything else nearby," Talen - Ai said as he readied his sword and they worked their way around the area. They saw a wooden door and he pulled the handle, opening it just enough for them to slip through.

They walked down the stairs and opened the gate, followed the corridor to a well-lit room. When they searched it, they found a book that he slipped into his bag before he set about unlocking the chest sitting on a table. It held several potions and a handful of gold coins.

The next corridor led to an intersection. He heard a sigh and took several steps back. "Human or humanoids nearby. I'll make a quick mark on the wall then we head to the right, be ready." They inched their way down the hallway and he stuck his head around the corner, taking a quick look before pulling back.

"Two at least are behind that gate and there are torches lit everywhere. When I go to open it they are going to see me."

"I'm ready."

He gave a quick nod then crouched down, slowly moving his way around the corner when they moved out of sight. He pushed on the gate and gave a silent snarl, it was locked. He quickly pulled a pick from his glove and set about unlocking it. One of the enemies must have heard the click when the lock was opened because they turned around. Talen - Ai pushed open the gate and ran for the two men, Shalaree was close behind him sending a clay pot to crack into the head of one of them, staggering him and disrupting the spell he had started casting.

They looted the potions from the dead conjurers then set about gathering the items from the many sacks and barrels that were in the corners of the room. He picked the lock on a chest and drew out the potions inside.

"This stuff will give us a decent lunch when we are out of here." Shepard was putting the cheese, bread, and pears she had found into one of the sacks before stuffing it in her bag. "We'll have this with the leftover stew."

He grunted then double checked the storage room before heading back to the intersection. They followed the long corridor around running into another conjurer after he opened an old wooden door. Talen placed an arrow between her eyes before she had the chance to even start a spell. He held up a finger and readied another arrow, just as another one ran around the corner of the room. He was met with a steel arrow in the chest, his body slamming back against the wall from the force.

Shepard gathered the potions and slipped the ring from the woman's finger, Talen hissed at her to leave the dagger it was only steel, then they made their way to the other one. He stopped long enough to pack up the alchemy equipment from a table, whispering to her that she would need it when she began to learn to make potions. And with as many, as they went through they would need them. He went through the stack of books on the end of the table placing several of them in his pack.

"Talen, look, several chests on that shelf back there," she hissed as she rooted around a box that was on the floor, holding up what looked like a blue shirt, "I think this damn thing is real silk." She folded it up and tucked it in her bag, he only shook his head and set about disarming the traps on the chests before he opened them.

"I found those bottles you needed, they were under that shirt. I wrapped them up in another shirt that was in there. It wasn't as nice though." She held out the bottles to him and he placed them carefully in his pack before emptying out the potions, coins, and ingredients from the chests.

They found another locked gate and he went in and looted everything out of the room before moving on. "We're getting a lot of potions to trade in here; it's good and this place isn't too bad for other loot either."

They saw another person walking around a small room and leaning over a table, an arrow thunked solidly in his back. Talen checked the body as Shepard packed up the things she found in a box off to the side. He added more alchemist equipment to the pack along with yet another book. When they were done they opened another wooden door and continued down a long corridor and up a set of steps. One more arrow took down yet another conjurer lingering near the top. They searched the room and emptied it of anything deemed valuable or edible before they went through a doorway.

"Why the hell did you pick up that green shirt and slippers from that last chest?" he hissed at her as they walked down the hallway.

"That shirt was silk; real, honest to God, silk. The slippers matched it."

"I take it you didn't have silk where you came from?" They were walking down a hallway and he stopped, pointing to his marks, letting them know that they had made a circle and then headed back up the stairs leading outside.

"Well, not really, other than the asari stuff. It wasn't like the silk we had from Earth before the weather disasters pretty much wiped out most of the stuff we grew. Pollution and mishandling had dwindled the food source of our caterpillars. The mulberry bushes just couldn't produce enough leaves to keep up with the demand. They tried using cloned bushes but the quality of the silk was really bad. Eventually only the really rich had anything like real silk."

He shut the door behind them and they jogged down the hill and into the small thicket where they had left the horse and cart. They emptied the bags and she put the shirts and shoes into a small sack and placed them in her own crate of belongings before sitting on the bench.

"Well, I'm glad you came away with something from there. If I had known you would like something so simple, I would have bought you some. I will take you shopping for fineries when we reach the City." He leaned over rubbing his face gently against hers before setting the horse in motion.

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the chapter.
> 
> For those reading my other stories as well ... I have pretty much run up against a wall with them. My motivation to write them is at an all time low it seems. I sit and stare at the folders and no words seem to flow. So for now this story will be the one continued since I have several chapters written out in advance. I will keep trying on the others but the harder I try to write them the worse it seems to get.

* * *

 

 

They made it back to the road and headed north, their next destination was yet another fort right before they crossed the Corbolo River. Several hours later he pulled the cart over into a thickly wooded area before they drew near the bridge. After restocking he went to scout, hurrying back only a few minutes later.

"Bandits on the road and there are several animals about as well, closer to the fort. We leave the horse and cart here and go in on foot. Help me set the traps, quickly, not sure how far the marauders patrol and we're pretty damn close to them."

They crept through the trees trying to stay in as much of the heavy cover as they could until he signaled for them to stop. Through a small opening in the bush, they were behind, she spotted the two bandits. One had a bow, the other a huge sword.

He leaned closer and hissed at her, "you take the bowman, I'll handle the one with the sword." At her nod, he moved a bit further along, then stood up. An arrow winged its way toward the man, hitting him in the shoulder. As soon as the arrow hit, Shepard stood up and use the sparks from her staff to hit the bowman, knocking him to the side and spoiling his aim. Within seconds she was on him, the crack of her staff almost as loud as the yells of pain from both of the bandits. It only took several minutes for them to finish off the more heavily armored one. By the time they were done, both of them were breathing heavier as they dragged the bodies into the woods before stripping them of valuables.

The animals turned out to be a wolf and several mud crabs. Talen had her bring out her bow and gave her a quiver of steel arrows. He helped her to aim then let her clear the area, his own arrow finished off the wolf, as it had spotted her when her own arrow didn't drop it in one shot. He explained to her the fundamentals of placement with her shots on animals, best to bring them down with one shot, less chance of them being in pain and trying to run, only to die later.

He brought the cart as she piled up the animals.

"We eat first then go in, I'm starving." She moaned at him before dragging off the small crate containing the stew pot. He stirred up the fire in the pit that was in the bandit camp. After they ate he set about collecting the plants while she cleaned up.

"Let's go." He pulled out several arrows and put them in his quiver before they headed for the wooden door into the ruined fort.

The door creaked open and they went inside. They heard the squeaking and Talen turned around to pull the door back open to leave when Shepard elbowed him with a grin on her face. He let out a sigh, "oh, alright. But there better be decent stuff in here... rats, why did it have to be rats."

They did encounter something other than rats as they made their way through the fort, raiders. Bandits in much better gear and stronger than the ones left outside along the road. Talen - Ai was sitting on the steps applying salve to several burns and cuts on his neck and tail as Shepard checked the bodies. She piled everything up in front of several locked chests in one of the only dry spots in the room. As she limped back, she pulled out one of the small red potions to heal the rest of the damage done to her by a swinging mace trap they hadn't noticed when they were fighting with the raiders.

"This must have been their storeroom, Talen. So many barrels, sacks, and chests are scattered through the room. I piled as much as I could in front of the two locked chests I found. There's also a locked gate down there, looks like it goes down into a completely flooded area though."

He nodded, then pulled one of the lit torches from the bracket handing it to her, "let's go see what these chests have."

He separated everything she had gathered up and they packed it in their bags before he set about opening the chests. "There are some clothes in there if you want to look at them. Some laced leather pants that could be made to fit you and a few other things." She rooted through the clothing and other items that he had left behind pulling out a clay vase that had been painted and glazed. There were no chips or cracks in it so she took one of the shirts and wrapped it up before tucking it into her pack. She rooted through the rest of the chests after he had taken out the valuables adding some bits and pieces to her pack as he unlocked the gate.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He gave her a nuzzle before sinking below the surface, returning several minutes later.

"Anything under there?"

"Yes, we added some more coins, a few gems and this," he told her as he pulled out a ring from his pocket. The band was black and it had a glittering diamond in it. "It's not enchanted, but I hope you like it." He tugged off one of her gloves and slipped the ring on her index finger. She held up her hand in the light of the torch and looked at the sparkle of the genuine diamond, before smiling and slipping her glove back on.

"Thank you, it's beautiful." She kissed his cheek and they headed back to a wooden door they had passed on the way in.

They pushed the door open and slogged through the water trying not to make too much noise. They heard talking as they approached another well-lit area. "Why the hell are there so many damn bandits in here?" She whispered as he drew his bow and sighted for one that had their back toward them. Shepard started casting the sparks and they had to back up in the long hallway to keep enough distance between them.

She let out a grunt as an arrow found its mark in her shoulder causing her to drop the staff. Talen stepped in front of her as she dug into her pouch for a healing potion. When the archer that had shot her went down Talen turned around to see her slumped against a loose piece of stone.

"I don't feel so good."

"Hold on Shalaree, I have to get this arrow out of you." He snapped off the end, then when she nodded she was ready, he rammed it through her shoulder. She let out a muffled scream as he examined the tip. "You've been poisoned, it's why you're feeling sick." He dug in his own pouch finally locating one of the small bottles and had her drink it as he packed the wound with herbs to help draw the poison from the wound itself. "Sit here, let these herbs work. You should start to feel better soon. I'll be back as fast as I can."

He quickly scouted the area, spotting another enemy that was hiding behind a pillar, taking her out quickly and quietly before returning to where he left Shepard.

"The area is clear for now. There are more bandits further along, I could hear them talking. We got lucky, the one we missed was either too scared to run back to them or was waiting to see if her friends would return. Feeling better?" He asked her as he cast a heal to speed things along. She nodded before she stood up. He unwrapped the bandage and checked the wound.

"The poison is gone from your system now. You'll still feel a bit weak, we'll slow down a little. I must say, I'm impressed with the way you didn't scream or cry out when I had to remove that arrow."

"It hurt like hell, I've been shot before though. Must tell you, usually my suit injects me with a pain blocker when it happens, but it's a whole different story here than back where I came from."

They gathered their loot and she ate the apple and broke off a hunk of bread from the loaf they found on one of the enemies. When they were done they blended into the shadows and crept down the hallway, stopping to listen in on a conversation before he motioned her to back up a bit.

"There are too many in that room to take on all at once. I'll try to lure them into the larger room one at a time. Hopefully, I can at least take one or two down quickly. Get ready." He quietly pulled out a better quiver of arrows, counting the shafts, then walked back to the gate. He reached out and as carefully as he could, pulled on the handle. When the one person walked out of his line of sight he tapped on the gate and it swung open. Backing away and nocking an arrow he waited, finally one got curious and just as his head came into view Talen let go of the bowstring.

Several sparks went by his shoulder as he backed up the hallway, finally one went down. He gathered up as many of the arrows as he could on the way back to the room. Once more he shot one that was on their own and once again he got assistance from her. They kept it up until they were done and the loot was gathered. He scratched his head when he noticed her wrapping a set of tan colored mugs and several plates in scraps of shirts and pants before putting them in her bag.

"There's another underwater area, I'll check it out while you see what else you want." He saw her nod as she rooted through a barrel.

He gathered the scales from all of the slaughterfish he killed, then slowly checked the area. He found a hatch that went even deeper and headed down. After checking all of the chests he started back, until a glint of metal, reflecting the dim underwater light, caught his eye. He picked up what looked like a heavy chest piece of some kind, tucking it into his bag to look at better when he surfaced.

She was sitting on a barrel that was next to the gate when he came back, "ready to get out of here?"

"Yep, just help with this barrel, would ya." She hopped down and looked up at him.

"You want to cart this barrel clear back to the wagon?" he asked as he looked at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Yeah, grab that end and try not to drop it." She started to tip the barrel and he let out a sigh before crouching down to pick up the bottom.

When they finally made it back to the wagon they were sweating and trying to catch their breaths. "I don't even want to know what you packed in that damn barrel, but we need to watch the weight, Shalaree."

"I know, I know. There's a bunch of clothing jammed in there to act as cushions for the stuff I gathered up, it added to the weight of it. Hand me a hunk of that charcoal from the fire so I can mark this as not for sale." She scooted and shoved the barrel toward the front of the cart while he grabbed a piece of the burnt wood from the fire. She marked a giant "X" on top of the barrel lid then tossed the piece of wood over the side.

"Whew! Now where too?" She was sitting on the end of the wagon as he pulled out the map.

"We'll make camp across the bridge, get a fresh start in the morning." He pointed to a spot marked on his map.

 

* * *

 

When they arrived at the campsite it was already occupied by several people. They had tents pitched and looked to be actually living there, at least temporarily. A cooking spit was set up, containers were placed around the tents and the site looked pretty well picked over.

"Well met, travelers, come and warm yourselves by our fire." A woman said as she carefully approached the cart, her hands well away from the bow and sword she carried.

Talen - Ai looked around then gave a brief nod to Shalaree. The woman introduced the others, the group were farmers looking to set up a new farm not too far from the campsite, the only problem was the place was right in between two warring goblin tribes. The woman that greeted them filled them in on what happened and where the caves were if they were interested. They offered a reward as well.

The two of them went back to their cart and took down their tent and bedrolls, Talen - Ai told her that there were three choices if they wanted to take the task and make some more gold. They could swipe the totem and give it to the original goblins, they could kill the shaman and let the other tribe have the totem, "or we could take both tribes out and these people wouldn't need to worry about raids."

"I don't know." She chewed her lip as she helped him set up the tent.

"Think about it. Since I'm still pretty wet, I'll get us some fresh fish for dinner. Let me know what you decide when I get back." He grabbed the string of hooks from the back of the wagon and headed down to the river.

She dumped a set of dry clothes and a piece of toweling inside their tent then pulled down the skillet, added some of the bear fat from the jar, grabbed a bag of wild onions and mushrooms. She was thinking hard about what to do, on one hand, anything to make some extra gold would be good. They had a lot to sell, but a good portion of the coins made would go toward finding out what all that glowing stuff was. She also knew he was adamant about finding them a home, even a temporary one. She gave a low sigh as she knelt down, chopped up the veggies and waited.

Later that night, after they went into their tent to sleep, she told him that she wanted to go after the totem first. "If it's worth keeping or selling, then we can go after the other tribe as well. But if it's just a piece of junk, then maybe returning it will calm that tribe down and they'll leave the people alone."

He moved closer and wrapped an arm around her, "we can do that, but you know we would have to wipe out at least one of the tribes or they would just be back at it again as soon as another shaman or leader emerges." He nuzzled the back of her head, his hand beginning to stroke her abdomen and waist, "I'll let them know in the morning that we'll take the job. I'll trap the cart and we can ride the horse to the caves." His hand had moved to stroking along her thigh and hip before returning to her stomach, she placed her hand over his just before it slipped too far up her shirt.

"I can't." Her whisper was low and cracked and she felt his fingers flex against her before relaxing.

He let out a sigh and hugged her, "I understand, good night, Shalaree." She felt him nuzzle her again then let out another sighing puff of air as they tried to drift off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Early the next morning he told them they would help the group out, the cart would be left here but he advised them to stay away from it. They quickly nodded and the guide from the day before assured them that nothing and no one would bother it. He helped Shalaree up on the horse then mounted behind her, turned it in the direction the guide pointed to for Timberscar Hollow and their first stop. Talen pointed to what looked like a ruin a bit further to the south and he pulled out his map to mark the location, before turning slightly north when he thought they were getting close.

They hid the horse in a thicket then approached the entrance, they heard yelling and the clash of weapons. They watched for a moment and when it looked like neither side was able to kill the other he hung his head, "oh, by the Hist, this is ridiculous." He stood up and sent several arrows into whichever goblin he aimed at, while she sent in some sparks.

He looked at the bodies and snarled, "it's all junk. Let's go."

Inside they found more of both tribes fighting in odd places and they didn't bother to stop to see which was which, just killed them as they went. They did find a chest with some gold and lockpicks inside. Another one contained a small pile of gold. Finally, they found a room that contained what they were looking for. A staff with a head on it was wielded by a goblin. This goblin knew how to use it and sent out shocks of his own. Both of them were grumbling when it finally went down. They grabbed the staff and Talen - Ai snarled, "wrong staff, this is the Rock Biter Tribes. We need to keep looking, it's in here somewhere." The chest in the room contained gold, a set of lockpicks and a soul gem. He kicked the chest in frustration, then went back to the other passage they had found.

This passage dead-ended with another goblin wielding another staff. This time they had found the right one. They looted the few gold coins then left the cave. It was only mid-morning, he estimated the whole thing took them less than three hours. "What did you want to do? Return this staff then head back to the camp or did you want to take out the other tribe as well?"

She shaded her eyes and looked around, "let's get the other tribe after you get your plants, they'll probably bring in more money than what we found inside."

He let out a snort and she sat on a nearby rock while he harvested stuff. She tossed him an apple and they ate as the horse made it's way a bit to the north. They paused at what must have been the building site, they saw an area that had been recently cleared and building materials piled up. They left the horse tied to the tree there and walked the rest of the way.

The outside was guarded by another set of goblins who were quickly dispatched. They had a handful of gold coins between the two of them.

At the end of a long hallway was an intersection along with a small alcove straight ahead, they didn't hear anything so Talen went into the alcove. Shepard hissed when he hit the ground. "What happened?"

"Stupid tripwire almost got busted by those maces. These are a bit smarter than the last bunch." He crawled to the chest and opened it, picked up the loose coins and dropped them into his bag before returning to her.

"Which way?" She was looking both directions and he pulled out his pot and made a tiny mark on the wall.

"We go right. Ready?"

The first area they came too seemed to be some sort of eating area, they smelled cooking meat and heard something moving around nearby. A single goblin was hacking away at a rat in front of a table. Talen handed her his bow and an arrow, she pulled it back and let it go, the goblin gave a high pitched squeal and took off running. Only it wasn't towards them, it was screaming and running away from them down a long hallway.

"What the hell? Where is he going?" She whispered as she handed his bow back and took hold of her staff.

"How the hell do I know." He quickly worked his way around the room shoving a few torches he found along with items from inside a chest into his bag before heading toward the same hallway. They followed the passage around killing whatever goblins got in their way. They found the chef, still wielding his cleaver, a few rooms over, having finally stopped running.

Shepard picked up a crate and put several pumpkins she found in it and placed it on a small shelf. After they finished searching the room she grabbed the crate and started to cart it with her.

"You have got to be kidding me, Shalaree." He hissed at her as they came to another intersection.

"No, I'm not. I'm tired of eating the same things, these pumpkins will make a good change." She shifted the crate a little higher as they turned right again.

When the next room was cleared of enemies she put the crate near the entrance then helped him search. They found the totem staff in a small alcove along with a chest. "There's a cage back there with a dead guy in it," she whispered as she watched him pick the lock.

He stripped the greaves and gauntlets from the body, finding a bracelet around the dead orc's wrist as well and put it in his bag. "All of that stuff is enchanted, every little bit helps. Grab your pumpkins and let's go, there's still one more passage we need to go down yet."

After killing a goblin that was standing in the passage, they turned into another one and Talen stopped in his tracks at the squeaks he heard. She shoved her crate into his hands, "here you hold these, I'll take care of the rats."

Several minutes later she popped her head around the corner, "ok, there's a chest in here." He handed her the crate and went to open the chest when he turned around he saw her sticking several ears of corn in between the pumpkins.

"There's some of those mushroom things on the other side of that pile of dead rats. Not sure if you want them or not." She hissed as she picked the crate back up and followed him to the small outcropping where the mushrooms were growing. When he was done they went back out and followed the long passageway again.

They reached a corner and as they turned it, his boot kicked a quiver on the ground. He bent down and lifted it, his hand becoming coated with a sticky substance. When he pulled one of the arrows out, a red glow, like fire, covered the arrow. He quickly looked around, then up at the ceiling where spider webs were hanging. He saw two arrows lodged in the webs.

"Shalaree, get those arrows for me, please." He pointed up, then let out a grunt as she shoved the crate at him, she pulled out her other staff and brought the arrows down. After switching his burden back to her, he tucked the arrows away and they continued on.

"This is the way out, finally." She grunted and shifted her crate again.

Back at the campsite, the family gathered around and they showed them the totem staff letting them know it was safe for them to start building their farm. They thanked them profusely and told Talen - Ai to come see them in a month or so, that way they can give them a proper reward.

"When my home is built, you'll always be welcome. I'll have something waiting for you then." The man hurried over to the rest of his family and helped them to quickly dismantle their tents and other items.

"Wait... does this mean we don't get our reward? We have to come back for it?" Shepard hissed at Talen - Ai as they headed for their own cart to unload the few items they had picked up.

"At least you got your pumpkins," he snorted, then fell over the side of the wagon when she pushed him.

 

* * *

 

The next morning they decided to go to the ruin they had spotted the previous day. They stopped at the farmer's settlement and the head of the family told him that from what he knew, the place was called Culotte, but not much more than that. They were free to leave their horse and cart there, it wouldn't be bothered. They tied the horse in the shade of a tree, far enough away from where the family was already busily building a home, but close enough for them to spot any trouble. Restocked and made sure they had sacks and pouches then walked toward the ruin.

They slowed as they drew near the entrance. Talen handed her his bow and put two small soul gems in her pocket. "Remember what I told you about placement. The deer ahead would be a tasty addition to your pumpkins."

Talen carefully wrapped the meat in the special bags he carried to preserve them. The hide was folded then rolled, he would cure it when they got back to the cart. The ingredients were harvested as Shalaree dumped the mud crab she also found next to where he was finishing up. He smiled up at her, "you're getting quite good at making sure we have food, Shalaree. What we are finding will keep us well fed for the next few months. Next step is to teach you how to take care of rendering the meat and other items from the carcass, that way I know you have the knowledge to handle this if I have to be gone a while."

"You planning on going somewhere and not taking me with you?"

He shrugged, "you never know what will happen from one day to the next in this world, the Hist may send a call to you or me that will separate us for a time. A job may come up that I may need to do alone or for that matter one that would suit or interest you." He stood up and pulled her into his arms, "one thing for certain, I won't leave you for any other reason. Not unless you... not unless you really mean to break the pact and go against them."

She let out a sigh and dropped her head to his chest, "no, I suppose I can't either. If it hadn't been for them bringing me here, I wouldn't have even known of Thane's wish. Neither of us had known we couldn't be together in his afterlife. It wouldn't have mattered anyway; sick or not, together or not, I still would have fallen in love with him. Treasured every breath, every moment together."

Talen rested his chin on top of her head. "Maybe one day you will come to feel the same for me and I for you. You have been offered a second chance to experience new things, I am grateful to them for choosing me to be the one to show you."

"Talen, you said the other day that being matched was a reward for you for something you did, what was it?" She stepped back out of his arms when he dropped them to his side.

His eyes closed, then he took several steps to the side and started walking toward the ruins, "I'd rather not think about that right now, one day when we are settled somewhere, I will tell you. Now is not ... a good time."

When they entered the ruin, it was completely quiet. Talen lit a torch to ward off the almost complete darkness of the ruin, then they started forward, only to find a gate they couldn't open. He pointed to a passageway and they went down. They found several chests and a pressure plate. After looking for traps and finding none, he gently stepped on it. A click and the sound of a rusty gate echoed in the still eerily quiet building.

"Don't you find it weird that there is nothing else in here?" Shepard whispered as she stayed close to him. She saw him nod in the light of the torch and grip his sword even tighter.

They found a huge room, with what looked like stone tables sitting neatly in rows and three passages. He glanced down the last passage and after turning a corner saw a room, the other ones seemed to have been longer hallways of some sort. "Well, what do you think? The room or the halls?" He hissed, his feathers were ruffled and his scales itched, something was really wrong with this place. He just didn't know what yet.

"Since we are in front of the room, might as well check it out," she said as she drew closer to him. This place was giving her the creeps.

Talen found several chests which he opened, one was filled with healing potions. He was busily stashing them in his bag when he heard her whisper, "hey, come check this out. It's a statue or something."

He closed his bag and hurried over, seeing her point at something sitting on the ground. He looked around carefully to see if he could detect any traps and didn't see anything.

"You ever see anything like it?" She asked as she crouched down to look closer at it.

"Nope. Wonder what it is?"

"I don't know, but if it isn't trapped, let's take it. It would look good on a mantle or in a display case." She smiled up at him when she heard him suck in a breath. He quickly nodded and pulled out a few sacks carefully wrapping it and putting it in his bag.

"Okay, let's check out those passages now." He picked up his sword and started for the hallway.

Shepard let out a piercing scream when a pair of zombies, that hadn't been there before, came running for them. One missing an arm, the other one without its arm or head.

"Shit, don't let them touch you!", he yelled as he sent out a burst of flame and started slashing as fast as he could with his sword.

"Fucking zombies! Those are fucking zombies!" Shepard was still yelling as she activated her staff. "Where the hell did they come from!"

"I know, less screaming more fighting!" He yelled as he backed them toward the passageway. When the second one finally fell, they hurried around the corner, then skidded to a halt as the bridge collapsed. "Shit."

Shepard pointed to the side, "Talen, there's more of those damn creepy things."

"Get your bow. Take a breath. They can't get us up here so pick them off." He aimed for one of them and started firing. Shepard shakily got her bow out and tried to aim.

"Easy. Focus, Shalaree."

"Fucking nightmare. This world is full of nightmare creatures. Okay... okay, these are like husks. I can handle this. They are just strange looking husks." She took a breath and kept muttering just husks under her breath, then started to release her arrows.

When it fell she let out a breath and lowered her bow. She felt him nuzzle her and whisper, "well done."

They headed back down the corridor, stopping long enough to gather as many of their arrows back as he could, not letting her touch the creatures. When she questioned him about it he told her of the many diseases they carried and how the argonian people had a natural resistance to most diseases.

They quickly headed toward the other passage following it up and around to a balcony. They heard the shuffle of fast-moving feet and when the creatures came around the corner they were met by flame and sparks. Talen searched the chest hidden in an alcove and they came away with more old coins, gems, several soul gems, a few scrolls and a pair of finely wrought elven greaves.

"Let's get the hell out of this place." He said to her after putting the items into his bag. He grabbed her hand and stepped over the, once again dead, zombies and hurried through the gate and up the steps, then back out into the sunshine. They made their way to the farmstead and hitched up the horse and unloaded their bags, Shepard took the statue and after carefully prying the top off her barrel, placed it inside, then sealed it back up.

They waved goodbye to the farmers and Talen sent the horse and wagon into a quick clip along the Yellow Road heading north. "We're not stopping until we make it to Fort Magia unless we have to."

After they stripped the highway men and Talen started teaching her field dressing and preparing animal carcasses, they finally made it to the Fort. The sun was setting and they decided to wait until morning. Talen spotted a guard from the Imperial City patrolling the area and it made him feel a bit safer, he hailed the man to let him know they were travelers, not bandits.

Talen - Ai dragged her down to the water's edge and pointed across the river to the large city on the other side. "That's it, Shalaree, the Imperial City. We're so close now. That's where we're heading. I can't wait to show you around, find us a home and settle down. At least for a while. There should be plenty of work in the area." He hugged her as they studied the city in front of them, at least what they could see because of the huge wall surrounding it.

They headed back to camp and Shepard set about preparing a pumpkin stew, after rooting around in her barrel and scrubbing out a large pot and lid she had picked up.

"What are you doing?" Talen asked as he sat near her, watching her cleaning vegetables as she fried venison in a skillet.

"When I was younger, my mother made this every fall when the pumpkin harvest came. We would all make sure we kept enough of the other stuff to make several stews for fall and winter. We would use beef though, not deer meat, and she would bake it in the oven. This was one of our favorite meals, one she made sure my father and brothers would be home for. Fall was a special time on Mindoir, bountiful harvests would ensure we survived the winter. Fun and games, along with festivals, brought the entire settlement together to share what we had with others."

"Sounds like you miss your home." Talen brushed her hair back from her face as she paused for several minutes, a frown forming on her mouth.

"I miss my family sometimes, but not Mindoir. It was great growing up there, don't get me wrong, but it turned into a place of horrors and nightmares overnight." She put the cleaned out pumpkin into her pot then dumped everything else into the shell, put the lid on it, then set it in the area of the fire pit that Talen had made for her.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

She paused in the middle of cleaning and looked at him, "maybe ... maybe in a bit." She went back to cleaning up her mess as he stretched the skins on the rack he attached to the side of the wagon.

Later that night, as Talen lay sleeping in their tent and she stood watch, she fell into memories of the attack of the slavers on her home, and the aftermath of the night that even now haunted her.

_Shalaree, your pain is great, your memories are sharp and they cut you deeply. We hear your cries and see the horror. We share your pain. Speak to Talen - Ai, share with him these memories and he shall help to heal you. Know that we are here for you, should you need us._

Shepard jumped and looked around, the voices came from in her head. She took a moment and breathed. The Hist, she remembered their voices coming to her the night they went to the village. The visions and dreamless sleep she had.

 

* * *

  
As they turned the first corner in the Fort they heard the clacking of dry bones and prepared for more skeletons. Talen - Ai stopped to gather the bonemeal from the skeleton as Shepard went down a few of the steps in front of her. "This place looks flooded."

When he was done he joined her and crouched down, "I think you're right. Are you wearing the ring the mages gave you?" At her nod he told her to try and stay close to him, they had no light other than what came from the sun shining through the cracks in the walls and the few magical stone lights scattered about. "If you have problems seeing under the water let me know when we surface. I'll think of something to do to keep us together. If you lose me make your way back here. I'll find you."

The first part wasn't so bad, the water was only up to their knees, the place was filled with skeletons and Talen hissed because he couldn't get as much bonemeal from them since they were in the water. He muttered and kept picking up the skulls, finally telling her that he could crush and grind them to make more of the bonemeal, but the skulls took up so much more room. They came to a point where the only way to go, was down more stairs and into a completely flooded room.

He took her hand and slowly walked down, easing her further into the water. He saw movement and slashed out killing the slaughterfish that had headed for them. "Don't move, Shalaree, just let me get this." He picked up the fish and turned to the side, preparing it and placing it into the enchanted bag he had for the meats. "Okay, a few more steps. Remember, with the ring you have on, you can't drown. I'll be near. If you start to panic, reach out."

He held her hand as they submerged. He kept his pace slow holding onto her and feeling her panic several times until she slowly relaxed. Several more fish attacked them as they made their way through the flooded area, finding several more chests. They reached a set of steps going up and they ascended, killing the two skeletons there.

"At least ... at least there were no passages to get lost in." She panted as she leaned against the wall, still amazed that she hadn't drowned, but could breathe the water as if it was air.

"You did wonderfully, Shalaree. Are you ready to go through the door?"

She nodded and he smiled before he nuzzled her dripping wet hair.

This area of the ruin was the same, areas of flooding and numerous slaughterfish, that he stopped to put into the bag, along with several more chests. As they surfaced more skeletons would attack. They finally reached another waterlogged door and after pushing hard on it, the door creaked open, revealing yet another flooded section.

"For crying out loud, my whole body is going to be pruned if there is too much more water." She stood at the top of the steps in one of the only dry spots she could find. The water running off her leathers in rivulets. They were becoming very uncomfortable and the material was rubbing her skin raw in places because of the constant wetness.

"Hopefully we'll be done soon. I'll get a good fire going when we get back to dry you off, just don't place your leathers too close to the fire or they'll crack and won't be of any use."

Shepard watched him kneel down again and start picking the lock on a large chest as she floated beside him. She looked up and could just scarcely see the light from the glowing stones in the walls and ceilings. They had been lucky that it was enough for her to see by, barely. She looked down when she felt him tap on her leg, letting her know he was done and they should move on.

More slaughterfish awaited them as they swam through the long passage. They finally reached a dry area and after killing the skeletons, Shalaree told him they had to stop for a bit and dry off, she could feel her skin peeling off as she moved.

He nodded and helped her to remove the armor, she groaned and let out hisses of pain as the leather was taken off. Several areas of her body were raw and bleeding, others were white and wrinkled, tender to the touch. He laid down the spare bedroll that he always carried and helped her on it. After laying out the leathers he moved and started to heal her, putting salve on the worst places and wrapping her in bandages.

"There is nothing for me to make a fire with here, Shalaree, everything is wet." He brushed her hair aside and she gave him a lopsided grin.

"Don't worry about it. I just need to dry off and this bedroll will help me warm up soon. Just don't let a skeleton sneak up on us."

He gave a chuckle and stripped his own leathers off before sitting beside her, putting himself between her and the area of water at the foot of the stairs, he pulled out a rag, used a very low flame to dry it out a bit, then rubbed his chainmail boots and sword down, drying them carefully as she slept and healed.

It was only a few hours later when she woke, feeling better and warmer. He checked her skin and added a bit more salve. They took the time to eat a little then they struggled into their semi-dry armor and groaned as they once again walked down the steps and into the knee-high water. They came to an intersection and Talen was hit with a wave of cold as Shalaree sent out lightning toward the ghost that had been down one of the passages. It moaned as it got closer and they started to back away until finally, it went out in a puff of white smoke.

Another chest and several scattered items were picked up, including two more bottles of the wine the innkeeper had asked for. Talen let out a sigh as he grinned at her, "these are the last two. I promised her six and that's what we've found." He felt like a weight had lifted from his shoulders as she smiled.

Once they were sure everything valuable had been gathered up they continued through the water, several more skeletons were in the next room over, as well as a chest. Shepard pointed at the set of steps going upward and they hurried to them. At the top was a lever that opened the portcullis blocking the door they had found when they first entered. As soon as it had lifted high enough for them to duck under it, they practically ran for the door to the outside.

They both entered the tent and stripped down, dried hurriedly and put on different clothing. As Talen lit the fire and laid out their, once again, soaking wet armor she took care of the horse and unloaded the bags.


	20. Chapter 20

* * *

 

When morning came Talen - Ai went to make Shalaree's usual cup of "wake her up tea", when he noticed the jar was practically empty. "Uh- oh, this is not good. There's still at least a week, probably more before we actually reach the town. Then another two or more weeks by courier to send for another jar of this stuff, if I can't find another khajiit that knows of it." He carefully scraped the sides and bottom of the container, placing what was left into her cup before pouring the hot water over it.

He woke her up and handed the cup to her, explaining the situation. She stared at him, then looked down into her cup. "Well, maybe it won't be so bad now? When we leave here, where is our next stop?"

"That depends on which way you want to go. If we backtrack to the south and cross that really big bridge, where we turned onto the Red Ring Road, there are plenty of places to stop and check out. It may also be safer to camp since the guards patrol more often. About midway along the southern shore is a small settlement, should be safe enough to camp and sleep through the night without a watch. A few forts and ruins are around there. To the north things are few and far between. There are however a few actual Inns along the road that we could stay at if you are tired of camping out. It's up to you."

"North, definitely north. Sleeping in a real bed sounds like heaven," she said as she sipped the rest of the tea.

He laughed, "then north it is, my dear. There is a fort and also an Ayleid ruin, from the looks of it a rather large one, just north of here. We can stop at both or choose one. If we are quick we can make the Inn a little after nightfall."

They hurriedly packed and set the horse to a quick clip, calling out greetings to the Imperial soldier as they passed him on the road. They passed the path for the old fort and continued north toward the ruins.

Talen stopped the cart and handed Shepard the reins before getting down to scout ahead. When he came back he handed her a jewelry box. "Afraid there isn't a key so you can't lock it. But hope you like it." She flipped it opened and noticed a piece of jewelry still in it, along with several old coins. She waited until the cart stopped before putting it in her crate under her extra clothing.

"Thank you, Talen - Ai," she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him before helping to search the bandits. They left everything but the handful of coins and moved toward the door. The bandits inside were not as skilled as most they had come across and were poorly armed and armored, they quickly made their way through the area, bypassing the traps on the stairs quite easily.

In one room Shepard found a note lying near a chest and read it out loud to Talen - Ai as he picked the lock.

"According to this, one of their bandits went missing in the next area, wonder what is there or could they really have just up and left. And if those "blue stones" he's referring to are these Welkynd stones, then maybe they already gathered them all up for us from this area." He shrugged and said it was possible.

She tore the loaf of bread that she had found in half, used her dagger to split the apple and handed him one of the wedges of cheese. "Guess lunch is on them," she laughed lightly before taking a bite of the apple.

"This food is about the best thing we found so far, from what that letter said they must have just gotten here recently. Come on, there's still the rest of that big room to check over, then those passages."

Talen - Ai found another chest in that larger room, while Shepard picked up the food from a few bowls, more bread, cheese and another apple along with a few things she gave to Talen- Ai. When he got the chest opened he rooted through it finding a few coins and some iron arrows that he left behind. Shepard, however, pulled out the green hood and robe from the pile and held them up looking for any holes or damage, not finding any she folded them and tucked them into his bag.

"What the hell are we going to do with even more clothing? No one needs that many clothes, Shalaree." He hissed as they walked down the stairs.

"The stuff we find in these places will make good working around the house clothes. I don't want my good dresses and things ruined. Those will be for going to town in."

Talen - Ai only shook his head at her and headed for another passage.

They kept it up, finding more bandits along the way. They finally reached a room with a door and several bedrolls laying about. "This must be where those other two split off at. They said the one disappeared from the next area so guess we need to be more careful?"

Talen nodded to her as he checked the barrel and chest that were in the corner.

 

* * *

 

Inside the next area, they found a large structure in the center of the room with a bright blue-white light centered on it, they also found a rather smelly bandit and the body of the dead khajiit. They looked around and saw a flooded stairwell. "Not more water. Let's keep looking. There has to be more around here somewhere. Something killed that khajiit because she didn't die from the stench coming from that stinky, unwashed bandit."

"Then let's head back to that room and check again, maybe it's a hidden entrance or something. Stay close."

Shalaree leaned up against the raised stonework in the center of the room as Talen Ai ran his hands over the walls. He let out a sigh and started to tell her they would have to go back when she walked over to him. Her foot sank slightly into the floor when she stepped on a stone tile near the one end of the raised platform. They both looked at each other when they heard the loud grinding of stone against stone. The wall opposite of where they were standing slid away, revealing a hidden passage, and the undead creatures that had killed the woman.

The next area of this ruin was more like a maze, a trapped one at that. They made it to a large room and Talen let out a yell as they were attacked by spectral wolves and skeletons. He quickly started firing off his flame spell as he slashed as quickly as he could, she was working on the rest of the skeletons and then sent out bolts of lightning.

The wolves weren't going down. "What's going on, Talen? We can't keep this up!" She screamed as one of the wolves swiped her leg, the chill from it going deep into her bones. He didn't bother answering her as he let out his own yell of pain.

When both wolves finally went down, he hoarsely croaked out not to touch them, as he stumbled to the wall and slid down in a collapsed heap. She half crawled, half dragged her way over to beside him as they stared at the transparent creatures where they were laying, still emitting a cold so strong they could feel it where they were sitting.

"My magics aren't strong enough. We barely survived this, Shalaree. If there are more like that ... I don't know ... maybe we should leave." He pulled his bag into his lap and removed the two tankards along with his waterskin and small packet of herbs. After mixing them together, he used the last of his slowly replenishing magic to warm them up before handing her one. "I'm sorry, I didn't think this place would be so large or have those things. I thought it would be a quick run through, then we could be at the Inn and snuggled into a warm, soft bed. Not sitting here, half frozen on a stone floor."

Shalaree's teeth were still clicking together and she clutched that warmed tankard in her hand like a lifeline, she could only imagine what would have happened if he didn't have the bit of magic he did have or the better weapons. They needed better armors and he needed better magic, if they were to make it as adventurers. Upgrades needed funds, and getting funds in this world meant ruin delving and bandit hunting.

"We keep going, just need to be more careful is all, Talen - Ai. We have found some good things, after we left the original area, no one has been here and all this stuff can be ours. We just need to watch what we are doing is all. We need the money."

"Money won't do us much good if we're dead, but alright. Once we're ready, we move on. If I think it's getting too bad though, we leave and no arguments."

She nodded her acceptance as she sipped the warmed liquid. When she was done, she reached into her bag bringing out another glowing purple gem and her pouch of dust. She made sure to hold it all just right so the dust fell into the bag. When she was done, the staff once more glowed with a bluish purple energy and she could see the purple white of the tiny sparks lighting up along it. Once injuries were finished being tended too and they once more could move without too much pain, they searched the room. They were keeping well away from the spectral beasts as Talen told her they carried nothing they could take, trying would cause severe, body numbing coldness and possibly frostbite.

Several more rooms were littered with bones, walking skeletons and quite a bit of treasure. Although Talen - Ai picked through most of it and discarding it as not worth the carrying weight. She slipped a few odds and ends into her bag that looked like they could be used a decoration or something of interest. After the second tan colored pitcher and large bowl disappeared into her pack he finally asked her what she was doing gathering up useless clutter.

"It's not useless. So many of these things lying about and if we do get a home we won't have to buy all this stuff from a store. It's just as good and unlike that stuff, this is old and we can remember our adventures getting it when we look at it or use it." She picked up a vase lying on it's side and frowned when she saw the crack in it.

"Alright, just ... don't get loaded down too much with that stuff, you may need to carry some things for us to actually sell." He placed a light kiss along her cheek as they headed toward the passageway out of the room. They kept going further in, running into several more skeletons and a zombie. Once Talen was sure that she hadn't contracted a disease from being struck by the zombie, they moved further through the area, finally finding another door.

"Let's take a short rest." He sat against the door and pulled out some food, while she leaned against the wall next to him. He noticed her nodding off more and more, when he was done he got out the bedroll and quietly laid it out beside her before easing her down on it. A few hours nap for her wouldn't harm anything. He set about fixing his bag and setting out the items that they had picked up earlier and decided to discard some of them. He didn't know how much more was in this place and didn't want to have to stop again to unload his pack if he found something worth keeping.

A short time later she awoke to his shaking her shoulder and scrambled up. "What happened?"

"You fell asleep, but we need to get moving if we are to finish this place up and get out of here before I become too tired." He put the bedroll back and readied his weapon as she quickly ate a piece of cheese from her pack and drank some water. The door creaked opened and he grimaced as they walked through and made their way down a short flight of stairs.

When they entered a long, darkened room he stopped, pointed to the two rows of glowing stones on pedestals, then took several steps forward. He flung out his arm stopping Shalaree's progression when he noticed the grid like pattern of holes in the center of the room. "Trap. You go down the right side, stay near the wall and grab the stones. I'll take the left."

She had just reached for the second stone when she heard the dry cracking and rattling of bones headed her way. She swung out with her staff and connected with the shield the skeleton was carrying, at the same time she saw Talen's flames come spurting out. They finished gathering the last of the stones and he tucked them into his bag as they walked down the hallway.

At an intersection they could see the branches leading off into two rooms, they went right and after killing the skeletal archer they searched the room, coming away with a sack of old coins, a few gems and a couple of scrolls that had been tucked into her bag.

They headed out of the room and continued down the short hall to the other room, a few steps into it and they heard a clang as a gate dropped down, barring their way back. "Oh, shit. Now what?" She hissed at him as she grabbed a hold of the bars and started to yank.

"Now we search. There has to be something in this room to let us either get that gate back open or let us go forward. Come on."

They returned to the room and noticed what looked like rather large block of stone set into the floor with six smaller push stones that had blue gems embedded into them. The only door they found was securely locked and after examining it, Talen - Ai told her there was no way to pick it.

"Guess there is nothing for it. There has to be something connected to those stones. One at a time, Shalaree." He moved to near the center of the room and she pushed a stone. They heard the grinding of stone upon stone again and Talen - Ai rushed over to where a section of the wall had disappeared and a skeleton had come out.

"Well, now we know what those stones are for. Push another one, Shalaree."

After the last of the stones were pushed in, he walked back to her and held up a key. "This should open up the door. Ready?"

The door swung open and they walked through, hearing what sounded like the gate in the other room opening back up. Shalaree shook her head and they moved forward, this place was creepy and strange.

As they rounded the corner into a huge room they spotted the Varla cage in the center, they also saw the two rather large and heavily armored skeletons bearing down on them.

"Try and find that switch, Shalaree, while I open this chest." He knelt down and concentrated on the lock as she walked around pushing on anything that looked like it might be the switch. She found her way up to the balcony where the one skeleton archer had been and after finding nothing of value on it she began searching there. She saw what resembled a lever and after taking a shaky breath reached for it and pulled, bracing herself for anything that might fall on her, pop out of a corner at her or shoot her. Instead they heard the loud click and metallic whine of a mechanism lifting the heavy cage from the pedestal that held the glowing white stone.

She called to him as he was reaching up for the stone that there was a hallway up there and it led to another door.

They heard the swish swish of swinging blades as they walked down the shadowed hallway leading from the door, sure enough at the end was a set of the blades. Through them they could see a room that was very well lit and Talen went first. He let out a string of curses after he made it through and saw three openings, each with more blades swinging in them. When Shalaree stepped past the last of the blades and hurried toward where he was bringing down another of those strange statue like artifacts, she too saw the blades and let out a string of muttered curses.

He tucked the statue carefully into her bag then headed toward the set of blades on the right. At the end of the corridor was a locked gate, beyond that they could see a skeleton walking around. They backed up toward the center room and headed down the left corridor, it emptied out into a small room littered with broken items and a skeleton. They found a small chest under a nearly destroyed and rotting table, splitting the cache of healing potions between them, before they turned and made their way back to the room and the last corridor.

Talen held up a hand and they stopped, listening to the chatter of a man in the next room. He was going on and on about his experiments and how the khajiit helped to further them at her death. Talen - Ai whispered, "necromancer. Watch for him to spawn an undead Shalaree. Be careful in here, we don't know his strengths and what he's capable of conjuring up."

Once he was sure she was ready they once more crept back down the hall leading toward the room at the end. The man inside was indeed a necromancer, once they had stepped into the room he raised his hand and a white mist formed near them, along with a bone chilling cold. Talen turned his attention to the spectral warrior that the mage had conjured while Shalaree went for the mage himself.

"Shit, this thing is immune to fire. Get your ass in gear, Shalaree and get rid of that damn mage, fast!"

She took a second to glance at Talen who had enveloped himself in the golden healing light of his spell, then turned her complete attention to the mage. She backed him into a corner, her staff cracking against him and blocking his attempts at hitting her with his mace. A few times she punched him as he raised his own hand to cast a spell, only once ruining the healing he had attempted. Over the clanging of metal against ghostly metal she heard the sound of a crack, like a piece of glass shattering.

When the mage finally went down, she ran to where Talen was and once again heard a crack, this time seeing him crush one of the Welkynd stones and replenishing his magic to keep up his heals. She jumped up on a table and started to shoot out the sparks at the creature as Talen kept circling the table and healing himself and slashing out with his sword. She reached into the small pouch at her waist and brought out one of the small soul gems, using it to recharge the staff and kept shooting sparks at the apparition. When it finally fell she ran to where Talen had just fallen into a chair, breathing rapidly.

"Are you hurt? What's wrong?" She quickly said as she rooted in her bag and pulled out a red potion, he covered her hands before she could unseal it.

"Green one," came his hoarse reply as he tipped his head back trying to slow his breathing. She pulled out a green one and opened it, slowly tipping it into his mouth. The swirl of greenish light surrounded him and his muscles slowly started to stop their shaking as his breathing came under control. "Search the room while I rest, Shalaree," he tipped his head forward and leaned his arms on the table, cushioning his head on them. He heard her moving around, giving a wide berth to the summoned creature. Twenty minutes later she came back with a letter, a sword, several potions and scrolls. She dug into her pocket dropping a few lockpicks and a key on the table.

"There are some flowers over there on that table and a chest too."

He groaned as he stood up putting her findings in his bag before heading toward the chest. He carefully harvested the lotus for the seeds and then picked the lock, adding gems, more coins and scrolls to their cache, along with another ring and a few more potions. He turned around to ask if she was ready, only to see her rubbing the grime off of a goblet and holding it up to the light of the glowing stones.

He let out a quiet sigh as he distinctly heard her ask if they were real silver. He glanced at the dusty items on the table and nodded, "yes, they are silver. As are the plates, utensils and serving dishes. Listen, Shalaree, that key you found might open the gate that was in that other room," he watched her eyes moving over all the small dinner items that was scattered around, "will you be alright here alone while I run back and check?"

She quickly nodded and he gave a slight grin when he walked over to her, "hmm, I think a good luck and stay safe kiss is in order, don't you?" She dragged her eyes from the bounty of silver wear and blushed as his arms enfolded her and his head lowered. They were both breathing heavier when he took a step back from her and hurried toward the door heading back out of the room.

It took her several minutes to remember all of the stuff she wanted and started making a mental list. By the time she had that done, Talen had returned and was leaning against the pillar near the chest. He was watching as she ran around the room gathering up all the items and laying them out in front of her, before picking and choosing what to take with her. Four goblets, plates, forks and knives were quickly added to her bag. Then came several urns, bowls and ladles, finally she added a pair of candle holders before announcing she was done. He gave a low laugh as he watched her pat her bag as if it contained some great treasure.

The hallway they found ended in a door and he used the key they found to unlock it. Darkness had fallen and they made their way to where they had left their horse and cart. She lit her torch as he dismantled the traps, before leading the animal to where the bandits had made camp, they were both too weary to bother to pitch their own. He ate the food she handed him before he crawled under the makeshift tent, promptly falling fast asleep. She kept watch until after the sun had come up.

 

* * *

 

It was late afternoon before they got back on the road, their bags unpacked, items sorted and restocked. They met few thieves on the road, since it was heavily patrolled and the ones they did meet didn't fare too well against the two of them. They turned off the road onto a path that led toward a small ruined fort. They got ready, then climbed from the horse and cart, she looked around as he placed a few traps, then they headed toward where the entrance was.

One downed skeleton, two wolves that she was busily preparing and rendering under his watchful gaze and several plants later, they headed toward the opening in the wall, stopping to open the chest they found. They also found several more chests inside the remains of the outer wall before finding the actual door into the fort itself.

They were walking down the long hallway when she hissed at him, "wonder who stuck all those repair hammers in that one chest? There was what, ten of them in there?"

"Have no idea, but they left them in a chest out in the open and we found them. If they didn't want anyone to stumble across them they should have stuck them somewhere else."

They picked off the undead as they found them and opening the chests they ran across, some of which had to have the rubble removed from on top of it before they could open the lid. Finally they came to a bridge and watched as three huge maces swung side to side across the bridge. "Wonderful," Talen - Ai whispered as he timed the swings. They made it past the trap and kept on going, picking up the pace as they hadn't run into much opposition since they entered the small ruin. When they came to a large room a large skeleton wielding a large glowing white sword came at them, he was met with fire, lighting and Talen's sword. They gathered the loot and when no further doors, switches or hidden panels were found they worked their way back out.

They were in the hallway leading toward that swinging mace trap when they saw someone heading toward them and they readied their weapons. When a large orc stopped a bit in front of them and made no move toward attacking them, they asked what he wanted.

"I take it you are the ones responsible for the piles of skeletons I found on the way in?"

"Yes, though there wasn't much else, this place has been picked clean, there wasn't anything here but the bonemeal I was able to scrape from those bones." Talen said as he kept a watchful eye on the orc.

They heard a snuffling snort, "figures. This place is too close to the main road to hold onto its treasures for long." The orc turned and started to walk away. Talen held out his arm keeping her back until he was sure the other one was gone.

"Keep your weapon out and stay alert." They carefully made their way back toward the entrance and out into the open. They headed toward their cart and Talen estimated it had only taken them 3 hours to take care of that entire area. When they made it back he noticed several of the traps had been set off and he quickly pointed them out. He found the razor thin wire he had stretched across the top had splotches of blood along some of them, as did several of the crates and barrels. The orc was nowhere to be found and he wondered if he had tried to get inside their cart before entering the fort. After searching the cart he couldn't find anything missing and all the lids on the barrels were still sealed up tight. "Come on, no more stops until we make it to the Inn."

 

* * *

 

Talen - Ai pulled the cart into the Inn's yard and climbed down. Shalaree was right behind him as he walked into the Inn. It was crowded and the people were boisterous. He weaved his way around the tables and the people who were standing near them, drinking and talking to the seated occupants. He swallowed as he got near the counter, hoping that Malene held her tongue for once.

His luck didn't hold, "well if it isn't Walks - In - Silence! Haven't seen you in many months, missed your special company. I take it you want to trade your rather attentive services for a night's stay at the Inn?" The woman behind the counter was as loud as ever and he barely evaded the set of arms that had tried to fling themselves around him.

He let out a sigh as he saw Shalaree stiffen and turn away from the counter to look over the crowded tap room. "No, Malene. My intended wife and I would like to rent one of your larger rooms for the night. I will be paying in coin, no barter or trade."

"Wife...? Oh, yes, well ... we have several rooms that are currently available. If you don't want the usual ... rate, it will be 10 gold for the smaller rooms or twenty for the one with the actual bed." She quickly grabbed a towel and wiped down the counter as he dug out the coins, not looking at the woman who was standing by the argonian's side.

"We'll take the large room, we want the room with the bed." Talen said to her as he placed the pile of coins on the counter top and registered in her log book.

"That's fine... fine. Your room is at the top of the stairs, second door on the right. Listen though, there is a job if you want it. Lately I've been losing customers, there's a damn necromancer, calling herself Raelynn the Gravefinder, that has taken up residence in that cave that's up the hill behind the Inn, Moss Rock Cavern, you know the one. If you get rid of her for me I'll pay you." She slipped the gold into a strongbox and put it and her book back under the counter.

"I'll think about it, right now all we want is to get our horse and cart settled in the stable, grab some hot food that we didn't have to make and get some rest." Talen wrapped an arm around Shalaree and drew her closer to his side.

"Stable's around back. I'm not responsible for anything stolen off your cart. Tonight's stew is venison with wild mushrooms, carrots and onions from my garden. Fresh baked bread and apple tarts with fresh clotted cream. Two meals will be two gold, you can pay after you eat."

"Thank you, Malene, and we have some fresh smoked meat for sale as well as dried fish if you're interested." Talen said to her as he pocketed the key. She told him to bring it to her and they would set about haggling for what he had.

Shalaree brushed down the horse as Talen packed up some of the wolf and bear meat along with a portion of the dried fish before trapping the cart. When he approached her she flinched at the touch of his hand before she relaxed.

"I'm hoping that won't happen too often. If it does, please remember it was in the past, not the present and things are different now," his whisper was quiet and said next to her ear. She nodded before draping the blanket over the horse and filling his food and water containers for the night.

"I know, just didn't expect her to be so up front about it when you came in with someone else." She took one of the sacks from him, "why did she call you by the other name and not Talen - Ai?"

He let out a small laugh, "you do realize that when you call me Talen -Ai you are speaking in Jel not common? Same as when I call you Shalaree. For most of the human and elven people it is hard to pronounce correctly. The khajiit's accent will also make our names sound a bit strange, unless they are used to dealing with outsiders, like the caravaneers. It is why most of us have two names. The one we use between ourselves, and the one we use with others. The meanings of our names are the same, Talen - Ai means, walks in silence. Yours is unique."

He haggled for a decent price from the innkeeper then they sat down at one of the only available tables. Malene hurried over with their food and two large tankards on a tray and put it in the center of the table before hurrying back behind her counter.

"The ale is poor here, Shalaree. Don't expect the same stuff we had in Leyawiin," he whispered as he dug into his meal. She choked when she took the first swallow of the stuff.

 

* * *

 

Shalaree had fallen asleep and he waited another hour before he eased himself off the bed and gathered his armor, weapons and bag. He slipped out into the hallway and locked the door before hurriedly dressing and making his way down the stairs. The taproom was mostly empty and Malene was doing a half hearted attempt at cleaning up the mess left from the patrons.

"Well, here I thought you would be too exhausted after making sure your soon to be wife got your usual night time attention to come visit with me." She dropped her broom and started to swing her hips as she moved toward him, he held up a hand.

"Not interested. I'm here about the job, what pay are you offering for it?" He crossed his arms over his chest and stood there listening as she outlined the contract.

"I'll give you 300 gold for taking care of her, any other necromancers in there it's up to you whether you deal with them or not. You can have whatever you find. I'll even throw in breakfast for free in the morning for the two of you. But you have to bring me proof you killed her, she carries a strange looking staff, bring that here and you'll get your pay. Hopefully that will get rid of the undead that wander around here at night and make the area safe again. I'm going to lose my business if she isn't gotten rid of soon."

Talen nodded his head and accepted the terms of the contract. He turned and walked out the front of the Inn, stopped to check on the horse and cart before starting up the path toward the cave. The few skeletons he encountered were dispatched as quietly as he could, before stopping at the entrance of the cave and once more digging through his pack for the pouch containing several tiny bottles, choosing the black one and putting on the thin leather gloves he used to coat the arrow heads in an extremely deadly poison.

He found his target behind a locked door, the arrow he sent hitting her in the back, the poison fast acting and excruciating, the pain so bad her spells fizzled. She pointed the strange black staff at him and before she could utter a word another arrow had already found it's mark in her forehead. He let out a low easy breath, until he noticed the coffin.

He very carefully approached the coffin that was in the corner, pulling his weapon and preparing for the worst. He edged the lid off and saw a pile of bones. His breath left in a relieved huff before gathering the bonemeal.

Talen carefully gathered every piece of treasure from the cave, there had been three other necromancers along with their summoned creatures in there, not to mention a few rats. He picked up every coin, every jewel and pouch he could find. He was lucky enough to find a large cache of stored alchemy jars and pouches, neatly labeled, in a chest by a table containing an entire alchemy set up that looked new, the components looked to be used to make more advanced potions and elixirs than the jumbled mix of equipment they found previously. He packed it all carefully in the chest before carrying it to the entrance.

He shoved the filled crate into the wagon, reset the trap, then headed inside. The taproom was lit only with the glow from a few candles and a low burning fire. "Malene?"

He heard a light grunt and saw her standing up from behind the counter, he walked over and noticed a bedroll stretched on the floor behind her. He laid the staff on the counter and she poked it a bit, before nodding. "Here you go, 300 gold as we agreed. You can keep that thing, I want nothing to do with it."

He slipped the staff and pouch of coins into his bag before quietly walking back up the stairs and letting himself back into their room.

He eased out of his armor and piled it on the chair in the corner before slipping into the bed. He let out a sigh as his arm draped over Shalaree, she had remained asleep and was unaware of his absence.

At least that what was he thought until, "you've been gone for hours, Talen. Where did you go? Why did you leave me behind?"

His sigh was loud in the room, "I took the job Malene was talking about. I know the layout of the cave, as many good plants grow near it. It was just going to be simpler to go in and take care of business quickly and quietly. Nothing else."

She turned over and faced him, "nothing?"

"Nothing, no other reason, no other motive and certainly not to be with her." His plated finger moved her hair from her face as he whispered his answer to her, hoping to reassure her. He drew her closer and she didn't resist but placed her own arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder, tucking her face against his neck and he let out a pleased hum.

"So, did you find anything good?"

He let out a laugh and told her about all the gems and the entire crate of ingredients along with the brand new alchemy set for her, "we also made a nice tidy sum of gold, Shalaree. Now sleep, my dear, we need our rest to continue our journey tomorrow."

 

* * *

 

Early the next morning they quickly dressed and went down to the tap room. They noticed Malene talking with a few customers and she had a frown on her face. Talen led them to the same small table and pulled out her chair before sitting down across from her.

Malene came over a few minutes later carrying another tray piled with food and a milk tin. "Thanks again for your help clearing that cave, Walks - in - Silence. Like I promised, breakfast is free this morning, if you want more just let me know." She turned away then paused before turning back. "You wouldn't be happening to be heading west along the road would you? Toward Aleswell?"

He looked up at her, noticing her face contained concern as well as the frown, "yes, we are. Why?"

Malene twisted her fingers together and looked between the two sitting at the table, "it could be just a silly rumor... but for the last couple of weeks more and more of the travelers stopping in have said the same thing. Aleswell's empty, a ghost town. Everyone just vanished and several of them have said it's haunted. They had stopped in there and a few thought since the buildings were empty they would take advantage of the Inn and sleep there ... but, they heard voices telling them to get out. If it was just one or two people I would put it down to a bad joke, or drunken ramblings, but ... more and more have been telling me the same thing. Do you think you could check it out on your way through?"

Talen glanced at Shalaree who only shrugged at him, "well, since we're heading past there anyway we can take a look, maybe find out what happened to them at least." She nodded at them before walking back to another table where the khajiit just yelled for another tankard of milk and another plate of that bear steak with potatoes and eggs.

They ate their breakfast then Talen explained that Aleswell was only an hour or so away. They would stop and take a look before moving on, they agreed to skip the ruin that they had originally been planning on visiting. If something did happen to all of the people there, someone would need to inform the steward at the City, they would need to investigate. A whole settlement just doesn't disappear overnight.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ATTENTION PLEASE: For those of you that may not have noticed, the rating on this has changed and new tags have been added. From this chapter onward there is a possibility ( oh who am I kidding ... of course there will be ) of sexual situations that are more explicit that a few touches or kisses between the two main characters. As such for those that do not wish to read it, feel free to skip those paragraphs... you should be able to tell when they are getting ready to happen.
> 
> Please also note: I am continuing to work on other stories. A few crossovers as well as the ones that I currently have posted here. I am doing my best to work through the block that seems to have happened and I ask that you bear with me on this.
> 
> Thank you and hope you like the new chapter. As always comments, kudo's and constructive criticism is welcome. Keep in mind I do not use beta readers and do my own editing so mistakes in grammar and spelling will happen. I do my best to catch them but they do slip through.

* * *

 

 

Their wagon creaked along the road through the empty town, they saw no one. Not a single person standing outside, no one working the lone vegetable garden near the Inn. They circled their cart around the small hut and headed back toward the small stable area where they parked their cart inside before getting down.

"There's nothing here, Talen - Ai. I don't even see a chicken or a dog. What the hell is going on? Settlements of people just don't vanish... this can't be happening, not again." Shalaree's voice quaked and grew quiet. Talen's gaze went from where he was stringing the razor thin wire to her pale face. _What did she mean by, "not again"?_

"Calm down, let's go have a look around, maybe we can find a clue. If we can't then I promise the first thing we do when we get into the City is report this to the Castle." He finished stringing the wire then took her by the hand.

"It won't do any good to report the disappearances, they'll never do anything about it, they won't believe. They never do." Her voice was haunted, as were her eyes. "Not until it's too late, not until they come to harvest us all."

He turned to her and took her by the shoulders, giving her a slight shake, "Shalaree, snap out of it. What is going on?"

She blinked rapidly up at him then seemed to get a hold of herself. "Nothing... it's nothing. Let's go."

She stumbled a bit as she walked away from him and he stood watching her for a moment before catching up to her. They looked around each of the two small homes, peeked in the windows, hoping not to see a dead body inside, before heading toward the other building. A sign said it was the Aleswell Inn.

"According to Malene, people heard voices in here, so let's go see if we do." Talen -Ai mumbled as he went up the rickety stairs to the Inn and pushed the door open.

"Hello?" His voice echoed in the seemingly empty building. They took a few more steps into the building and Shalaree shut the door behind her.

"Talen? Do you smell that? Someone has been cooking in here, and recently too." She whispered to him as she moved closer to the fireplace and could feel the warmth still coming from the hearth. "Someone had a fire going in here not long ago."

Talen moved over to her and held a hand over the embers, "you're right."

_"Excuse me. We have a small problem that we hope you can help us with. You may be wondering why you can't see me. We are all wondering the same thing. Everyone in Aleswell suddenly became invisible several weeks ago. It was sort of fun at first, but the novelty has definitely worn off now. You can imagine how difficult it is to run an inn while invisible. Once you get a reputation as a haunted inn, you can just forget about it. So we've all been keeping quiet, hoping the spell will wear off. But we're running out of patience. We're sure it was Ancotar's doing, but we can't find him. If you can help us, we will be extremely grateful."_

Talen whirled, drawing his sword as Shalaree let out a startled scream and threw up her hands in a brawling motion, ready to punch who ever had just spoken to them, as she dropped into a fighter's stance.

_"Easy. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you so badly. My name is Diram Serethi. I, along with my two sisters, own this Inn."_ He picked up a tankard that was on the table and wiggled it around to let them know where he was.

"What ... what do you mean by a spell? Mass Invisibility?" Talen asked as he sheathed his sword.

_"Well, we aren't really sure. See, there is a wizard by the name of Ancotar who took up residence in a tower nearby, Fort Caractacus, a few years ago. He was always causing some type of problem with his spells and crazy experiments, but nothing like this. We've tried to find him, even went to the fort, but we've had no luck. If you'd go up there and look around, maybe find him and get him to take this damn spell off of us we would be really grateful."_

Shalaree dropped into a nearby chair, after poking the air above it to make sure no one was already there, and laid her head on the table trying to get her heartbeat back under control. "Where did you say this guy was hiding out again?"

_"It's a fort to the southeast of here. He's got to be holed up in there somewhere."_ The tankard swung around and bobbed it's way over to behind the counter. _"Just follow the path down the hill, it'll lead you right to it."_

Shalaree stood up and Talen took her by the elbow leading her to the door, _"oh, one more thing. Be watchful, there are invisible monsters and animals all over the area."_

Talen shove her through the door as he heard her muttering curses under her breath and shut the door behind them. He hurried her down the path to her constant rumblings, "they thought it was "fun". They had people worried. What the hell is wrong with them?"

When Talen glimpsed the fort in front of them he stopped and brought out his weapons and Shalaree drew out her staff. They moved forward slowly, their eyes scanning everywhere and listening for anything that would indicate a beast or some type of creature near them. Both of them froze when they heard the noise of the grass being trampled by something, the steps moved away fast and they could only assume it had been a deer that ran. They moved on and when they got close enough to see the fort they paused and looked it over.

"How the hell are we supposed to find someone that is probably invisible too? If he was here and got caught up in his own spell he's in the same predicament. Hell for all we know the bastard is dead somewhere, killed by one of the beasts his stupid spell turned invisible." She hissed at him as they took several steps toward the tower.

"That's a possibility. Let's just hope it isn't the case."

Whey they were almost to the tower a voice rang out, _"Oblivion take you! What is it you want from me?"_

Shepard hissed and Talen held her by her upper arm, "are you the wizard called Ancotar? The townsfolk of Aleswell sent us. They said you were the one that has turned them all invisible or something and they want you to reverse what you done so they can go about their business."

_"Well, yes, I have been experimenting with improving invisibility. Works quite well, don't you think?"_ The voice grew closer to them.

"Works a bit too well, you made everyone and every living thing between the town and this ruin of a fort turn invisible. They have tried a couple of times to find you, to ask you to fix it, but couldn't." Talen - Ai was nervous, he had no way of knowing if this wizard was up to something, since he couldn't see his hands.

" _Really ... they, uh, tried to come find me, ehh? That must have... must have been the commotion I heard a while ago ... yes... must have,"_ the wizard cleared his throat. _"You.. you see I was so engrossed in another experiment, I want to increase the radius and magnitude of the spell and it requires my full attention ... I don't want to bore you with the details."_

Shepard spoke up, "look, we don't care what experiments you are up to in here, but the village wants this reversed. It's caused nothing but problems and worry for a few other small towns when everyone just went "poof"."

_"Hmmpfh ... well, you tell them that it isn't permanent, the spell will wear off... in a year ... maybe two ... or so."_ His voice started to fade as they heard him move away, _"just go tell those people to wait."_

"A year? What the hell do you mean by "a year"?" Shepard called back but there was no reply.

"Those people can't stay like that for a whole year, Talen, that's ridiculous." Shepard paced and scratched her head, then carefully walked toward where the last sounds of the mage's voice was heard.

"Hey, you still there, Ancotar? We'll be heading out now, we'll let them know that you're still living up here and that the spell will wear off eventually. I guess you won't mind if they constantly come by to keep asking though. Daily, several times a day, maybe. Although I don't know how much concentration for your experiments you'll be able to have for the next year ... or two... or so, if you constantly hear people bang on your door and shout outside the windows." Shepard's lips curled into a smirk when she heard hurrying footsteps approach her.

_"You wouldn't. I wouldn't be able to get anything done with all their interruptions."_ The mage's voice came from directly in front of her.

"Then figure out a way to speed things up. You made this mess, figure out how to reverse what you did and I'm sure the people would leave you alone afterward."

_"Oh fine, I do have a counterspell, I just have to remember where I put it."_   Several minutes later they heard footsteps approaching them again.

_"Here take this scroll, read it only in the exact middle of the town. Nowhere else. Right in the center to make sure you get everyone in the town."_

"So this scroll will undo the invisibility then?" She asked as she tucked the roll of parchment in her belt.

_"Yes, yes ... it should be fine. Just read it ...,"_ his voice took on a hesitancy, _"there should be no side effects or other ... problems."_

Shepard stopped fiddling with her belt, "what do you mean?"

_"Just read it, you should be fine ... but, just in case, take this ring and put it on before you go to read the scroll and make sure any living thing that isn't already under my spell, isn't in the town or outlying area."_ A ring floated in mid air and she held out her palm, it dropped into her hand and she closed her fingers around it. _"I make those rings myself, you know. It's a ring of protection, it is very useful for this type of research. It will ... uh ... protect you from any serious side effects. Now go on, get out of here and leave me in peace to do my research."_

They hurried back to the town and Talen unhitched the horse, telling her that he would wait near the large copse of trees along the road toward the west of the settlement, as soon as she was done to come find him they would return for their wagon and get the hell out of this crazy area. As he rode out of town she heard movement near her and the same male voice asked if they had any luck.

"Yeah, he was the one behind this whole mess. He gave me a counter spell though. All of you need to be within the town limits. Since I can't see any of you, I don't know if everyone is gathered. Do a roll call or something."

_"Roll call?"_ Came a female voice to her left.

"Say your name and when everyone is done let me know if anyone is missing." Shepard took off her glove and slipped the ring on her hand, then hoped like hell that the mage had been telling her the truth and she wasn't about to blow everyone sky high. When they told her they were all there but had no way of knowing if their animals were, she nodded and unrolled the scroll.

She looked at the symbols on the parchment that seemed to be words, glowed then dimmed then changed into something she could read. She very carefully repeated what was written and after she did the scroll crumbled into a pile of useless ash. When she looked up she saw what must have been the entire town gathered around her. They started to ask questions but she held up her hand, "I have to go and get the guy that was with me, once we get back we can tell you what we found out."

The elf that talked to her before stepped forward, "come to the Inn when you get back, we'll all be there."

 

* * *

 

They sat at a table in the taproom and told them what happened, the town seemed to be split on how they felt about the wizard. The two female elves, with some of the nastiest dispositions she had ever met, were the loudest with the complaints.

They were given a small room and told they could stay for free whenever they were in the area. They squeezed themselves into the smallish bed, much to Talen's delight, as she was practically laying on top of him, his hands free to roam over her. She finally hissed at him to go the hell to sleep as he kept rubbing and squeezing various parts of her body, namely her backside, as she tried to ignore the increasingly hard bulge that was pressing into her stomach.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, after he spent a good thirty minutes trying to get her to wake up and dress, even though it had allowed him to once again roam his hands over her and her feeble slaps at his fingers and arms didn't deter him in the least, they walked down the stairs and had a lackluster breakfast of mush and day old bread. That it came to them by being slammed down on the table by one of the surly elven sisters came as no surprise. The male had whispered that he wished the spell had backfired and had let them stay invisible so he could ignore them.

After they had eaten they headed toward their cart only to be hailed by the owner of the small farm, they were given several crates of fresh vegetables and a large crate of watermelons from the plots of land that he tended as thanks for helping him.

Talen pulled out his map and stretched it on a hay bale in the horse stall. "Okay, now there are two ways we can go from here, one leads almost directly to the city and will only take a few hours to reach the Inn and tiny settlement on the outskirts. The other way will be several days journey with another two forts we could stop in. Which way do you want to go?"

She studied the map and then the overloaded cart. "Let's go south across the bridge. Later on we can always go check those forts. But I think we deserve some real rest now and I know I could use a break from sitting on that hard wagon seat for a while."

"Fair enough, let's get to town and find us a place to settle down and relax." He gave her a quick kiss before putting the map away and leading the horse and wagon out of the small stable area.

After defeating the bandits that tried to rob them halfway across the small bridge that they took to reach the island where the Imperial City was built, they stopped at a wayshrine to pay their respects, feeling a wave of healing warmth rush over them, easing their aching bodies somewhat. It was late afternoon before they spotted a couple of buildings ahead of them and Talen stopped the wagon and turned to her.

"The Inn in that village is where I have to drop off those bottles and pick up our pay for them. If you want, you can come inside or wait with the cart, but either way we won't be staying there. Even if she offers free lodgings." He lightly slapped the reins on the horse's back and the wagon started again. By the time they reached the small village, consisting of only the Inn and what looked like a fisherman's hut, if the rack upon rack of drying fish was any indication, she had made up her mind.

"I'll stay with the cart, Talen -Ai, it shouldn't take you more than a few minutes anyway and someone needs to make sure no one steals our stuff."

He stopped the cart in the Inn's yard and clamored over the back of the seat, grabbed the crate that they had carefully packed the bottles in, utilizing the fresh hay from the Aleswell stable to act as protective cushioning, and hurried into the Inn as fast as he could.

 

* * *

 

When Nerussa saw the argonian carrying a crate she dropped the cloth she had been wiping down the counter with and hurried toward him, her brows furrowed.

"I found them," Talen - Ai said quietly as he put the crate on the part of the counter closest to her stockroom door. She frowned, then her forehead cleared of the small lines. She reached into the crate and moved aside the straw and hay to see the word, "Shadowbanish" and let out a gasp.

She hurriedly locked the front door of the Inn and led him to the cellar where her living quarters were. The crate was placed on the table where she removed each of the bottles, carefully looking at the labels and seals before placing them in a locked cabinet. Once all six were in place she turned to him with a huge smile on her elven face, "perfect. After all this time I thought I would never see anyone bring me those bottles. Now for your payment, I thought we could just spend the rest of the day getting reacquainted with each other, you don't need those coins, you can stay here as long as you like for free, meals and ...entertainment, included, " she started to reach for the ties to her blouse when Talen stopped her.

"No, I'm getting married soon. No more trades or payments of that kind. We need payment in gold coins. I promised her a home and nice things." He noticed the look on the Altmer's face change when she realized she would have to pay out in a very different form that what she had been hoping for.

Nerussa realized if she didn't pay him for those bottles he would bust the cabinet open and take them back, gentle he may be in some ways, but he was still no one to mess with. The scarred leathers and bloodstained sword scabbard attested to that fact. "Alright, come back up to the main room, I'll give you the promised amount."

Ten minutes later he was out the door, a heavy purse of gold in his pack and two bottles of Frostdew Blanc in his hands. He pried off the lid to her "household goods" barrel and tucked them inside before joining her on the seat.

"How did it go?" She asked as she shifted around.

"Very well. We have made a very, very nice sum of coins with that deal. She also gave us two bottles of wine for our upcoming nuptials. She asked if we happened to run across any more of those bottles in our adventures, to bring them to her when we can, she would pay handsomely for them."

She let out a noncommittal hum and shifted again as he turned the horse and wagon toward the huge bridge and the imposing, towering stone walls that surrounded the Imperial City.

They passed many carts, wagons and caravans heading out of the City and many more were heading into it. They stopped at the Chestnut Handy Stables that was located right outside the gate and waited until the stable master had finished with the people that had arrived there before them.

"What can I do for you two?" He asked them as he patted the horse, looking him over casually and running the reports of any horses that had recently been stolen through his mind.

"We are looking to rent a stall slot for our horse and a place to put our cart, for an indefinite amount of time, I would pay for a week in advance then hope to work out a deal if we decide we need something long term."

The man looked over the cart and how it was packed full of crates, barrels, boxes and chests with sacks all stacked up on top of them, then back to their worn but mended armors. "Well now, if you are looking to sell off most of what is probably in the back of that wagon, I could let you have a space near the back of the stable for it. There's a door back there for easier access and I can toss in the use of a hand pulled cart as this wagon won't be allowed to go past the gate." He nodded toward where the Imperial guards had stopped several people with large wagons as well, but let the much smaller, donkey pulled carts go through. "Now, the stables are guarded and the soldiers patrol the area, it's as safe as we can make it."

Talen nodded then climbed down to go back and see where the wagon would be stored. There were several more back there, a few dogs stood near them and let out low growls when they got too close to one of the wagons. Then checked the back door, a heavily muscled man stood near it, the armor old and worn, but the man's eyes were sharp and took in every detail around him. "There is another guard on the other side, if you decided to rent the space you'll be given a document to show them to go in and out safely. Otherwise ...", he shrugged and the armored male crossed his bulky arms over his chest.

Talen nodded his understanding, then they set about haggling over the price. Once they came to a mutually agreed on price the man wrote out a writ of passage for him and used the seal of the stable and ink to make a mark on the paper beside his signature. Talen rolled it up and tucked it inside his bag before heading back out to the cart.

Once they had the cart settled into their assigned slot and the wire covering the top, they walked out of the stable. Talen telling her that he wanted to find them a room at an Inn first then he would head over to the Office of Imperial Commerce to start the paperwork to run a stall and see about getting them a home. "With any luck we will have a house by the end of the week."

They moved with the rest of the crowd through the gates into the Talos Plaza district, Talen explained to her that the city was divided into six districts, each one different and set up for a specific purpose. "This one is the Talos Plaza," he saw her staring at the imposing statue of a dragon in the plaza center. "There is a bookstore in town, we can stop there and grab some history books so you can catch up on what has happened in this world." He whispered to her as several other people had stopped near them. His hiss of keeping her attention on her purse strings brought her out of her trance and she moved her hand down and shifted the survival pouch into a better position to protect the contents.

They started moving through the district, the grand homes along the area, as well as the looks from the Imperials and other residents pretty much told him that even if he could afford a home in this area, they would probably not be welcomed. They encountered a khajiit outside one of the smaller homes in the district, he was telling anyone that would listen how it had taken every Septim he had, but he finally did it, he bought his home in the Talos Plaza.

They moved a bit further off before she let out a snort, "he used up all his money and look what he was wearing. He would have been better off buying a more affordable home and having money for necessities. I take it you will be passing up any homes in this area on more than just the outrageous cost?"

He nodded, realizing that she had noticed the distinct lack of non human or elven residents in the district, unless they happened to be guards, "there are a pair of khajiit brothers who own The Black Horse Courier, the only publishing house for news in Cyrodiil."

She stopped and looked up at him, "you guys have newspapers here?"

He shrugged and nodded at her. "Yes, only the one. They do very well for themselves and own one of the mansions in this district. We'll be stopping at the stall outside their office to pick up the latest copy. We need the news." They stopped outside a structure with the sign reading The Tiber Septim Hotel.

The proprietor looked them over with a slight sneer on her face when she saw the armor instead of the stylish clothing the other patrons of the hotel were wearing.

"We're needing to rent a room with a double bed." He told her after waiting for her to actually turn her attention back to him.

"We only have singles for rent at the moment. We do have several of those however, each room is 40 Septims, per night in advance."

Shepard let out a snort and covered it with a light cough. Talen glanced at her then back to the woman standing behind the counter. "Ahh, I see, thank you but we are only interested in a double."

They left and the door barely had time to close before Shepard let out a bark of laughter, "what a rip off. That woman is trading on being in this district and the name of the Inn to gouge her customers." He let out a hum and took her by the hand.

"Well, we still have several hours yet before it gets dark, let's keep looking." He tugged her down the steps and back along the walkway.

They followed the signs pointing to the Elven Gardens District, "the Gardens is the largest of the home districts. We might spot a place for sale there that would be within our means." As they wondered around he heard her mentioning how orderly and laid out the homes were. They were built in small upside down "U" shaped sections. Each section containing a certain amount of homes. Nothing sprawling or different from the next. Aside from a potted plant here or there next to a door.

"Talen, I don't see a single home for sale here. Everything looks lived in." She frowned as they stopped outside of a building with a placard that read, "Luther Broad's Boarding House".

He let out a sigh and gave her a nod of agreement, "me either. Let's go see if they have a room for us in here. Then we can head for the market district. It's the next one over."

The man that was standing behind the counter looked up at them as they approached, "Luther Broad's Boarding House. I'm Luther. You want beds or food, see me."

"We are hoping you have a room with a double to rent for at least a week." Talen said as he leaned on the counter, Shepard was looking around at the Inn's other occupants, either at the bar or sitting at tables in the dining room. The place was busy but not packed, and at least it wasn't empty. That's never a good sign where food and drink were always being served.

"Well now, I sure do have such a room, if you've the coin to pay for it. Ten gold Septims a night for the pair of you. Now mind you, the bathing facility is at the back of the building, on the same floor as the rooms. Only the customers use it, no hot water, if you want it hot you'll have to figure out a way to do it without burning down my place or go to the public bath house. The door can be barred from inside so you will have your privacy. Food is served around the clock and the bar is open from noon to two in the morning. The sheets are clean and your room will be tended to twice a week. If you need something done before then, just stop here and let me know, I'll get the staff right on it."

Talen nodded then placed the agreed upon sum on the counter before signing the ledger. "Very good, your room is at the top of the stairs, first door on your left." He slid a key across the counter then placed the ledger away.

They went up and checked out their room, seeing it well lit, clean and spacious. They set about unpacking their spare clothing and Shepard dug into the bottom of her pouch pulling out the wrapped bar of soap and the man's shirt she had bought from the khajiit caravan, putting them on top of the chest of drawers. She held the silver comb in her hands then put it back into the small case, slipping it back into her bag. Talen noticed and gave a slight frown. Both the jewelry boxes he had given her had the locks broken when he had to pick them. He made a mental note to buy her a new one. Once they were ready they headed back down, Talen had stood for several minutes testing the door's lock then sticking something in the door jam well above eye level and then again down near their feet.

The market district was loud, crowded and jammed packed full of stalls and stores. Crates and barrels were shoved into the corners next to various stalls piled high with sacks, people all shouting out their wares and others haggling with the shopkeepers for a better deal. Their first stop was to the stall outside of The Black Horse Courier, where Talen bought them the latest edition of the publication, quickly tucking it into his bag. Their next stop was to the bookstore. They were led to a section full of books of "historically correct facts". Talen whispered that he would be right back and to not leave the store, he wanted to run over to the Commerce office before they closed for the day. "You have your money with you? Or would you like some more?"

"I have my reward money still. I'll be here when you get back." She told him, then pulled a book from the shelf marked, 'Brief History of the Empire v1.'

He went inside the office and noticed several other people all standing about, most of them were complaining about something or other. Several more seemed to be merchants or in a few cases khajiits. He overheard a few talking about their assigned caravan trade routes in Skyrim and hoped that it wouldn't take long to get the border crossing papers approved. The males voice hushed the female, telling her that as soon as their, "taxes" on the goods were paid and their papers approved for a safe crossing they would head out. Another khajiit male hissed out that they shouldn't have to get approval to cross, let alone having to pay extortion. The older male said something in their native language and the younger one crossed his arms and waited.

When it was finally his turn to be, "helped", he told the woman, that tiredly asked him what he wanted after telling him that complaints were handled by someone else and she had nothing to do with them, for the stall permit and if there were any homes for sale. She pulled out several papers from a cabinet and handed them to him.

"Stall permits are all approved on a case by case basis, depending on what is being sold. The merchant is required to keep a logbook of all transactions so a fair and proper accounting is made concerning the taxes to be paid on the sales of goods. The permit, if approved is two hundred gold Septims, to be paid at the time of approval. Stalls are not provided just an assigned space, it is your responsibility to provide the stall. The Imperial City and the Office of Imperial Commerce is not responsible for theft of property, vandalism of your property, poor sales for being in a less traveled or visible area of the market. We are not responsible for someone undercutting your prices or stealing away your customers with better deals than you provide." She let out a long sigh then drew in a deep breath before continuing, "the approvals usually take two to four days after the paperwork is given to this office, so we can go over it and assign the location. You are not to set up anywhere else and you are to stay within the bounds of the stall site. Any questions? No? Good."

Talen had his mouth open but quickly closed it.

"Now about the home availability. We don't offer homes to newcomers. Once you get settled in and start showing that you will be a productive citizen come see me again. Next in line."

Talen stepped to the side and quickly looked over the pages before putting them into his pack. It looked like they would need to speak to the proprietors of the hotel and stable again. He hurried back to the book store and saw Shalaree sitting on a bench with several books tied with twine beside her. "Ready? There were a bunch of people in front of me at the office." She nodded and handed him the stack of books.

Back in their room she put the books on the small table and they headed down to have dinner, over which he told her that it will take a bit longer to find them a home. She asked why and he told her. He also told Luther they would need the room for another week and paid in advance. The change was made in the ledger and they headed back up to their room. Talen glanced down the hall and saw the bath door open and suggested they hurry if they wanted a bath before bed. Shepard looked at him and he shrugged. "It will be easier for me to heat the water once rather than to heat it up several times. Plus there is always a chance that I wouldn't get a bath if someone entered the room after you left it." He tried really hard to keep the grin off his face as she narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he was up to his old tricks again.

She grabbed up the shirt and soap, while he picked up a pair of soft cotton pants from his drawer, she noticed he didn't add a pair of underwear to it. She let out a huff and picked out her fresh set, mentioning she needed to replace hers, since they were getting worn with all the repeated washing with the harsh bars of scrubbing soap they had. He nodded and told her they would go shopping while he waited to see if his permit would be approved.

When they entered the room they noticed stacks of clean toweling on shelves along one wall and both of them let out a sigh, neither one had thought about how to dry off if none had been provided, they had left their own set of towels in the cart.

Shepard dropped the bar in place and they carefully maneuvered around in the small area trying not to knock each other over while undressing. Talen pulled on the chain and a stream of water poured into the copper tub set in the middle of the room from the ceiling, where a pipe was hanging a short ways down. He let out a grunt as she stepped on his tail, when he had crouched down to start heating the water with his flame spell.

"Oh, gods, I'm so sorry, Talen."

"It's fine, just remember it's back there. The thick plating can hurt your foot if you step on it and the tip is unprotected." His flame spell stopped when he saw steam rising from the surface of the water. He plunged his hand in and stirred it around making sure it wasn't too hot. "It's ready." He climbed in and she tried not to gawk at him as he settled back into the tub, his tail swishing around at the side of him before it settled along his thigh and calf.

She grabbed her soap and a rag then climbed in, trying to settle on the other end of small tub. Her foot connected with his stomach and he let out a grunt before dropping his hand over his groin. "Damn it woman, that was too close. Get your ass over here and relax."

She let out a sigh and there was an unnecessary amount of splashing and cursing as she stood up while trying not to step on him. When she finally got settled and let the warm water start to relax her, she felt his own sigh and he shifted to bring her body fully back into contact with his own. She stiffened slightly then allowed him to cradle her in his arms while her head rested on his shoulder.

"There not so bad, right? Now let the water soothe us a bit while it's hot."

A few minutes later she felt him move a bit, she should have known he wouldn't let the chance pass him by for touching her. She felt the rag move over shoulder and across her chest, the sweet floral scent of the soap tickled her nose.

She reached for the rag and he held onto it, "allow me this, Shalaree. I respect your need to wait before I take you and make you fully mine, but let me have this, please." His gravelly whisper was next to her ear and she hesitated before giving a slight nod and dropping her hand back down into the slowly cooling water. She felt his chest vibrate from the pleased hum he let out and his hand once more moved the soaped rag over her body.

His scaled hand soon followed the one that held the rag, she tensed then let out a low gasp as his palm cupped a breast, his thumb brushing over the hardened nipple. She heard his accelerated breathing, and felt his body hardening beneath her. The puffs of air stirring the tiny hairs on her neck and behind her ear. Slowly the rag dipped below the surface, running over her abdomen and across her hips before being slid along her arms. His fingers massaged her breast and gave gentle tugs on her nipple.

"Stand up, Shalaree, let me finish your bath," his strained whisper was barely heard over her own ragged breathing. When she did as he asked, he stood up behind her, the rag once more started its journey on her body. She started to sway as she felt his hand moving toward the center of her body, she had started to ache with need and she gave a startled gasp and moan when his fingers touched her.

"Easy, relax. Your body is as taunt as a bowstring, let me help you." His fingers lightly stroked her and he felt her quickened breathing and her hands clutch at his thighs. "Mmm, that's it, enjoy my hands on you. In you." His fingers thrust deep inside and she let out a muffled scream. His own breathing grew labored and he shifted behind her. She felt his hand brush along hers, where it gripped his thigh, before moving to take his stiffened cock in his own hand. His tongue bathed the side of her neck as his hands moved in perfect sync. It only took minutes before her cry of release escaped her. His own muffled grunt followed shortly after.

He eased his fingers from inside her, a small healing warmth washed over her as he did so. She was still breathing raggedly when he told her to dry off and dress, he would need a few minutes to wash and clean the bathroom a bit before he joined her in their room. She felt him nuzzle her and give a tiny lick along her neck before he helped her from the tub. She watched as he pulled the release chain and a torrent of cold water flowed over him, his body still hard even after his release. She dropped the towel, quickly put on her clothing and removed the bar, barely opening the door and slipping out while he stood in the tub, the water running down him in rivulets and his green eyes on her.

He let out a sigh as the door closed behind her. He went too far, he knew he was pushing his luck anyway, but what he did went too far. He was going to be lucky if she didn't stab him with his own sword when he entered the room. He pushed the lever on the tub and watched as the dirty water went down the uncovered hole, then took one of the used towels and cleaned up the mess he had made with his release, those towels went into the barrel that had the word, "Dirty" burned into the lid. After he put on his pants, he pulled the bell rope to signal the staff needed to clean the room for the next person to use, then headed to their room to face her wrath.


	22. Chapter 22

* * *

 

 

There were no candles lit in the room, except for a single one on the bedside stand. He cautiously made his way to where the bed was, seeing a bump on it and assumed it was her under the covers. When she didn't immediately leap up and stab him, he blew out the candle and eased into the bed.

"Shalaree? We should talk about what happened in there. I know I shouldn't have ...,"

"Goodnight, Talen. I'm tired. We'll talk later." Her voice was muffled and he let out a sigh before adjusting the cover and closing his eyes.

They both looked even more tired the next morning, neither one had slept more than a few minutes at a time, their thoughts wouldn't slow down long enough for them to really fall asleep.

Breakfast was quiet and he was careful not to touch her as they made their way back to the Market district. By mid afternoon they were both too exhausted to do more than return and fall into bed. It was late and the room was pitch black when they both awoke. Talen pulled out the paperwork he had been given, then handed her some gold Septims, "will you please go down and see if they can pack you a basket of food to bring up. The sooner I get these forms done the sooner we can start selling those items, hopefully make more for them that what the stores would buy them for." He looked down at the long forms, "that is if they approve it."

When she returned he was carefully printing the information on the parchment, the scratching of his quill the only sound in the room. He stopped long enough to eat the food that was packed before going back to finishing the forms, he frowned as he listed the items, thinking about if he wanted to put the gems on there or just sell them to the jewel crafter.

"What's wrong?" Her voice came to him from where she was sitting in the chair, a book opened in lap.

"They want to know, specifically, what we would be selling. We have such a jumbled mix of items... I don't know what to include, what to take to the stores to sell or what to keep. Plus we still need to go to the Arcane University to get those items checked. Should I list, unknown enchanted gear? Or should I just leave that off and sell it somewhere else?"

"I don't know, but I would probably not try to sell it in a stall. Just sell it to the mages if it isn't going to be useful to us. Will be better than carting it all back to the wagon and hoping to be able to sell it later."

"That's true. That also reminds me, we need to go to the carpenters. We need to have several locking chests made. The ones on the cart won't lock anymore. We can keep those for our clothing and move our goods into the locking ones for safe keeping."

Another hour went by before the quill stopped moving and he recapped the inkwell.

"Shalaree? About last night. I'm sorry. Not for ... helping you, but for ... for, well, for not really asking first and for not being able to control myself. I shouldn't have done that. I hope I didn't hurt you. I know I'm not like a human, different than Tha... your previous lover. My scales are rough, plating can be abrasive to one of your kind." His head was hanging down and he was staring at his folded hands, unsure what she was going to say.

He heard the book being closed before it was placed on the desk. "You didn't hurt me, Talen. I'm not angry at you. More upset with myself. I should have stopped you, but I couldn't. I couldn't stop myself from finding pleasure in what you were doing to me. My feelings, needs, wants and desires were cut off for so long. I don't know if I ever explained to you what happened to me, after Thane was killed."

He glanced up at her and shook his head, his feathers puffing slightly before resettling. She let out a low sigh and pulled out another bottle of mead from the basket. "Thane's people are known as drell, a race evolved from reptiles adapted to a harsh, desert like environment. They have perfect sight in the dark, their bodies are compact with a heavier muscle mass than a human. They also have some very odd quirks that evolved with them. One being eidetic memory, perfect in every way. They never forget a single word they say or hear, a smell or taste. They remember each and every touch, right down to the tiniest detail. They also experience something called solipsism that goes hand in hand with it, they could bring up those memories, and relive them, over and over. There is a great danger in that, of course. Losing themselves in their memories and forgetting to live in the present."

She drank some of the mead before twisting the bottle in her hands and continuing her tale, "having that memory for detail, made them perfect candidates for spies, saboteurs ... and assassins. The species that rescued a portion of the drell from their dying homeworld used that to their own advantage. The hanar couldn't really use guns, their movements slow outside of water and they needed to use specialized packs just to be able to get around on dry land. They devised this thing as part of their agreement for the rescue, they called it, The Compact. If one of the drell children caught their eye and thought to be a prime candidate to be trained as a hanar special operative, the child's parents were approached and given the ... "honor" of having their small child taken from them, raised to become a killer, in some cases, others for jobs that the hanar couldn't do themselves. Thane was such a child, at the tender age of 5 he was given to them. And at 5 years old, he began training to become an assassin, one of their greatest ever."

Talen let out a hiss and she looked over at him. "Argonians too had something similar, Shalaree. The Shadowscales, the hatchlings born under the sign of the Shadow were taken at birth to be trained as assassins. The order is all but extinct now, very few remain as their training hall had been destroyed."

She swallowed and gave him a nod of understanding, "Thane met someone, fell in love and woke him from what he termed, "Battle Sleep". It is a condition they were trained to achieve that would cut off all emotions, so that nothing and no one would make them lose their focus, their will to perform their duties. But Irikah, she was special, the way she stepped in front of his sighting laser to protect a stranger, did something, woke him and he fell in love with her. Eventually they married and had a child. He grew ... careless, overconfident that no one would dare go after him or his family. It cost him his wife, almost cost him his son. In a way it did. But, anyway, he fell back into his sleep, only waking when he met me more than ten years later."

"When he tried to explain this condition to me, I really didn't understand it. Sure, as a soldier you have to learn to turn off your reactions to some things, the smell of death, the fact that it was you that took an enemies life. But your feelings are still there, for a drell in full on battle sleep, they are gone until awakened. The minute that bastard's sword went into Thane, I could feel a numbness start to take over. When the machines beeped their warning of a stopped heart and Thane released his final breath, I could feel... nothing. Nothing but the need to finish my mission. I didn't really care about the people that were dying around me, the planets and side missions that they kept pushing me toward. I had two goals and only two... find and kill Kai Leng and stop the Reapers. I knew I wouldn't survive the war, I didn't care. I would be with Thane. He would be calmly waiting for me on Kalahira's shore, as he promised."

She stood and moved to the small window, opening the shutter and letting the night sounds of the City into their room. "But the gods in this realm seemed to have had other plans. Ones that included a person that woke me up, as I had woke Thane. There is no going back. There is no returning to the numbing sleep. The shores can't be reached and I have to live with that now. It will take me time, Talen. I have started down the path to having a life again, I'm just not ready to fully leave the past behind me and only look to the future. All I ask is that you bear with me and keep that in mind."

She heard the chair scrape against the floor as he moved it. A moment later she felt his arms circling her from behind as he rested his chin on her head. "I will try, Shalaree. I am truly sorry for your loss of him. But I am also thankful for the gods hearing his wish and bringing you here. It may sound selfish of me, but I am glad that you were given to me, to be mine. One day, I will tell you about a deed that I performed many, many years ago. The Hist told me on that day, that sometime in the future I would be given a priceless gift, something unique and extraordinary. I thought it would be a weapon, a piece of armor or something, never had I imagined a mate such as you."

His voice lowered in volume and became husky, "I will not lie, it will be difficult for me to not take you now. I have had a small taste of what I will find in your arms and when you let me into your body. I want more, to feel more. To see you come apart while I am deep inside you, to feel you clenching around me and to hear your cries again as you find pleasure and release with me." His arms tightened, "but I will promise to try and not let it get the better of me, not ask for more than what you have given me, not until you are ready. And I have the feeling when you do and we come together as one, it will be explosive."

He felt her shiver in his arms and nuzzled her before stepping away and returning to his seat.

 

* * *

 

The next morning they went to see the carpenter down near the waterfront first and purchased four new lockable crates to be delivered to the stables. They spent hours separating their goods into the different containers and Talen placed strange marks on each one. He told her it was something he learned a long time ago, a sort of code, so he would know what was in there without having to open each one, but no one else would know. They packed more of their clothing into one of the old chests and hauled it back on the hand cart to the boarding house. While she put it all in the drawers he dropped off the paperwork and stopped at the jewelcrafter across from the Office building. From there he headed toward the Cyrodiil Bank and opened an account, exchanging a good bit of the coin he was carrying for banknotes and a letter of deposit. It would go toward helping to build citizenship for the City, hopefully it was one more step toward homeownership for them.

Over dinner that night he told her to wear one of her nicest dresses the next day, he wanted to take her to see the Arboretum then have lunch at The Lotus Seed in the Talos Plaza. It was upscale so they had to dress in something other than armor.

 

* * *

 

The morning dawned crisp and cool for once. The sky cloudless and they hurriedly dressed. When they arrived at the huge gardens Shepard looked up at him and smiled, he held her hand as they walked the paths and several times stopped to answer her questions about a particular flower or bush. He stopped and explained each of the statues of the Nine Divines to her. He pointed to the Arcane University, where they would be heading later that day after picking up the trunks from the stables, to have the enchanted gear identified and sell if it they didn't need it.

The restaurant was busy and they patiently waited to be seated, they had garnered several stares and noticed whisperings accompanied by hastily averted eyes. It was all she could do to grit her teeth and not say anything. They looked over the menu the young girl had given to them, and chose something neither one had eaten before. Talen joked that anything he didn't have to cook or catch themselves was a welcomed change. She laughed and started to forget the other people around them.

Their meal was delicious and they shared a bit of what each ordered. The server waited at their table with their bill and Talen drew out several gold coins to pay it, then handed the girl several silver ones, telling her they were just for her, for being kind enough to make sure their food was brought quickly and their glasses kept filled.

"Thank you kindly, but I earn a wage here."

She went to hand the silvers back and he shook his head, "keep them, it is called a tip where my woman is from, for quality service given."

Shepard smiled at the young girl who clutched the silver, before she hid it in a pocket of her skirt.

 

* * *

 

When they entered the University with a cart piled with a couple of crates and more than a few sacks, it drew quite a bit of attention. They asked where they could get some gear identified and when they were shown to a small room Talen grunted as he moved the sacks and hefted the large crates inside. Shepard piled the sacks of herbs back in the cart, took hold of the ones containing the jewelry and went in, just as he started to remove the items from inside the first crate, placing the armor on the counter. Once everything was identified, he sold off most of the pieces, the coins actually going toward getting everything done.

Then came the weapons and staves. She was excited over several of the staves, the goblin totems in particular and offered him a premium amount of gold for them. The amount for those two staves was more than he thought he would ever get.

"Are you sure you want to sell these? They are unique to each of the goblin tribes." He nodded to her and she wrote it down on the parchment. His heart was beating rather fast as those horrid looking staves just brought them over fourteen thousand gold Septims alone. He pulled out the staff of lightning bolts and handed it to Shepard who gave him the spark staff. Everything else earned them coin. The jewelry was sold, except for a ring he slid onto his pinky and an amulet to fortify his endurance that he slipped around his neck.

Finally came the scrolls, several of which he separated and placed back into a crate. When their business was concluded Talen looked over the amounts written on the parchment and agreed to them. The mage asked if there was any other business and Talen told her yes, they needed to see the alchemist if one had a shop there, if not he wanted to see someone about spell tomes and any enchanted light armor they had.

"I recommend taking the herbs to The Main Ingredient or Mystic Emporium in the Market district. Due to us having our own Lustratorium we do not purchase herbs, other than ones that are extremely rare. She does however sell alchemical training books and recipes if you are interested. Follow me to the Archives, for spell books, it is the best place to go. It is also the most extensive library in Cyrodiil."

The books they had found were identified and separated, the magical tomes from the more mundane. Talen kept several that would fall within his limited training. "Do you have a listing of your spell tomes for sale?"

The dark elf behind the counter slid a paper in front of him and Talen glanced over it, "I'll take the Cure Disease, Elemental, Fire and Lightning Bolts, Baltham's Insight, Cure Poison, Heal Major Wounds and Convalescence, please."

The elf blinked at him and the female mage that had accompanied them slid the tally sheet across the counter. When the elf saw the amount that the University owed to the pair in front of him he hurriedly retrieved the books and noted their cost on the paper as well.

"If you don't mind, could we go to see the alchemist, I would like to buy several recipes and beginners tomes for my woman as well."

"Of course, your cart won't be able to make up the stairs, however, it will be safe in the enchanting room." The female gathered up the parchment and led them up the long winding staircase to the Lustratorium, a huge enclosed garden of alchemical ingredients growing in profusion from every nook and cranny of the area.

"Julienne? Where is that woman?" The female mage called for the alchemist again, this time seeing a female's head pop around the corner of a huge section of lush greenery.

"These folks are interested in beginner's tomes and recipes for alchemy."

"Oh my, yes of course. Right this way." The woman led them to a counter, jars and bowls everywhere. A bookcase behind her was filled to overflowing as was the stock cupboard beside it.

"Now then, do you need the equipment as well? No, I don't supposed you do, probably found a bunch of it laying around in some bandit lair already. Alright here we go, a copy of Song of the Alchemist, Mystery of Talara volume 5, don't bother with the others dear, unless you are like me and have to have the entire set or it bugs you." She started to hum a tune as she opened a drawer pulling out several recipe papers. Then pulled a thick volume from shelf.

"Now these papers contain very basic recipes for healing, magic and stamina potions. Easy to find and grow ingredients, unless you are a complete idiot you can't mess them up. This book is, well, let's call it a primer, shall we? It lists all the equipment and the correct uses of them. Ingredient lists and their common use in potions and salves. It lists all the common and even some of the rarer potions, salves, tonics and elixirs, how they should look and the effects they will have, if made properly. It doesn't contain, however, experiments from other alchemists. Some of those strange people, well, let's just say there are certain people that just shouldn't be messing with alchemy. Was there anything else you may want to try?"

Talen looked over at her, "the heating salve for sore muscles, and uh... we need something on a personal level for uh... chafing of her skin from .... um..."

She waved her hand at him then went back to her cabinet, she rifled through the papers bringing out several sheets, "anything else while I'm in here, dears?"

"You wouldn't happen to have recipes for soaps? Ones that use those wonderful smelling blue and purple flowers would you?" Shepard asked as she watched and wondered how the woman found anything in that jumbled drawer of papers. "Also, I don't know if ... anyway, this khajiit gave me a jar of mixed herbs and stuff that we brewed into a tea in the morning that woke me up, do you have anything like that?"

The woman chuckled and shut the one cabinet drawer before opening up another and pulling out several more sheets and a couple of small books from the shelf beside her. "There now, this should keep you busy for quite a while. If you are ever wanting more recipes come on back. One more thing dear, you should buy a journal and keep a record of your progress. Once you find you can easily make these simple potions it may be wise to try and learn others. Keep your eyes open for journals tucked away wherever you find the equipment in those dungeons and other places, adventurers like yourselves wander into. Sometimes they can actually contain useful information. Other times they contain loads of dangerous rubbish." She handed Shepard a piece of paper, "here is the list of ingredients that you will need for those basic potions." Shepard looked it over then handed it to Talen who told her they had several full sacks of each of those. The older woman let out a chuckle and told them they should wait to sell anything until after they had a look at the rest of the recipes.

"Now dears, how would you like to pay for this?" Julienne asked them as she straightened the stack of recipes and books.

The female mage let out a soft snort as she handed Julienne the parchment.

The older woman let out a bark of loud laughter, "my, my, you two certainly have been busy haven't you?" She jotted down the purchase and the total amount owed, Talen glanced at the sheet and agreed to it. The woman started humming again as she packaged up the books and papers, wrapping them in brown paper and tying it with twine. "There you go dears, have fun. Enjoy your newfound passion for alchemy. Come back anytime."

Their final stop was in the enchanting room where the Master Enchanter showed them the pieces of light armor that were readily available. He chose a pair of chainmail gloves that were enchanted to help his one handed fighting ability. Shepard looked over everything then asked if it was possible for her to come back tomorrow, she had a pair of elven boots and greaves that maybe they could help her with. They told her that an enchanter was there everyday and to come back when she was ready.

They followed the female mage to a small room where she handed the sheet of parchment to the person behind the desk.

"This is accurate?", the spectacled man asked her, a slight frown on his face.

"Yes, right down to the last copper. Everything that we purchased from them and they from us is listed there in detail, along with our signatures."

The man looked over the odd pair in front of him before laying the parchment down, "did you want your payment in gold, bank notes or merchant guild notes?"

Talen thought of the amount of gold he had in his pack and if it would be enough to not have to run to the exchange to cash in the bank notes, then he remembered he still hadn't turned in all those old coins yet. "Bank notes. Then what ever odd amount left over in coins."

The man shuffled some papers out of the way then pulled out a sheath of yellowed parchment with the Arcane University symbol on the top, his quill began scratching across the surface as he filled in the amounts and endorsed each one. When he was done he took the stack and handed them to Talen, who looked over each one carefully before handing them back. The mage folded them then sealed it with a purple wax and the stamp of the University. Talen tucked them into his pack and thanked them both. He transferred the sacks of ingredients into the empty crate and locked it before they left the University.

Once they unloaded the cart and made it back to their room, he grabbed her and swung her around before kissing her.

She laughed as he set her back down, "what in the world was that all about?"

He laughed and hugged her, "you really don't understand what just happened do you? Shalaree, we just made a small fortune. Even with identifying and buying all that other stuff, we earned over thirty thousand gold coins from selling the stuff we picked up. And that doesn't include the normal armors or the money we already had. We can buy a very nice home now, we won't have to worry about money for a long time, if we are careful."

She laughed, "so this means I won't have to worry about having to pawn my apparel?"

"Nope, won't pawn... hide them maybe, once we get a home of our own. But not pawn them." He chuckled as she gave him a slight push. "Let's go to the armor smith, you have greaves and boots but still only leather for the rest. We can get those adjusted for you and maybe find chainmail for me. I would like to get a full set of the glass armor later, but not right now."

They were heading toward the market when Talen overheard a few people talking about the smith at the Best Defense store. When they reached the market he politely inquired to a guard the stores location. "It's on the other side of the market area, talk to Maro Rufus if you're just looking to buy the light armors. Their smith does wonders with the metals and leather."

When they entered the shop they heard arguing over the banging of a hammer on an anvil.

"Be quiet, Varnado, we have customers. Welcome to The Best Defense! That's me, Maro Rufus! Light Armor! The very best!"

Talen approached the counter and noticed their smith was another argonian. "We are looking for some light armors, elven cuirass, gauntlets and helm for my woman. Chainmail set minus the boots and gloves for myself. We also need you to adjust the fit for her greaves and boots, please."

"Sure, sure can do that for you right away. While Gin-Wulm takes care of the fittings, I can show you the chain pieces."

Shepard greeted the argonian at the anvil, who almost dropped the hammer when she spoke to him in perfect Jel. He asked about how she had learned his language as he fitted the boots and greaves, marking areas that would need to be carefully altered and more leather pieces added to cushion them. She explained about the Hist and he stood up and looked between her and the tall, green argonian who was running his hand over a chainmail shirt.

"So you are paired with an argonian then? It's a highly unusual match. Most won't have a relationship with us, well other than under certain circumstances or have certain proclivities."

She gave a small laugh, "where I come from there are those that feel the same way. But others who look beyond outer appearance. My previous mate, he was also not human, and I loved him very much. Talen is a lot like him in some ways, both great warriors, good hearts and gentle, though fierce when it is needed." The argonian finished his markings and helped her to remove the pieces of armor.

When Talen joined them at the forge, the other argonian told him to come by around six that evening to pick up the pieces. He also had something he wanted to show him, something made especially for argonians. They finished fitting the rest of the pieces and Talen put a deposit down before they left. They made a quick stop at the Coin Exchange, where he traded in the old Ayleid coins for gold, then went to the bank where he deposited most of the bank notes and a portion of the gold. The teller's eyes bulged slightly when he stacked the notes up and handed her the banking booklet that contained his account information. He very carefully checked the transaction, making sure each number was correct as was the amount, and that she had signed and stamped the entry, before tucking the booklet back in his bag.

 

* * *

  
They showed back up at the store right before closing and Gin-Wulm showed them to the back. He had them put the armors on and check for fit, then he pulled out a wooden box from inside a cabinet. When he opened it he pulled out what looked like a bunch of straps, metal plates and spikes.

"Tail armoring." He showed her how to put it on Talen, the leather sheathed the unprotected sides and the top near the base of his tail, the straps holding it tight around him. The long strap ran down between the two rows of natural plates and added flexible metal pieces to protect that area as well. The spikes were down near the tip where the argonian's natural plating was small, the spikes added both protection and a weapon that could be wielded. An argonian's tail was heavy and very muscular, a solid blow was usually enough to knock someone off their feet, but add those sharp spikes and it became much more dangerous.

"I designed this so it wouldn't interfere with our swimming ability, the plates are flexible. You just need to make sure when you help him on with it, that the leather is straight and smooth. The straps are tight but not binding. Do you see how these straps fall between the plates? You need to make sure they are not rubbing against them, but in between the two. And the spikes are placed evenly, the leather not twisted, it will throw off the balance if not done right." She nodded and ran her hand over the armor and around a portion of his tail, barely hearing the hiss and hum that came from Talen. The other argonian heard it and smirked, sending him a wink.

After the smith was finished answering questions on the tail armor, he made a few last minute adjustments on the regular armor and Talen handed him the bank notes to pay the rest of the amount owed. Gin-Wulm assured them that the armors would be delivered to the boarding house first thing in the morning, since it was a large order of armors the delivery cost was included.

They spent a few hours walking around the town stopping and picking up a new edition of The Black Courier in the hopes of finding someone putting their home up for private sale.

 

* * *

 

The next morning they accepted the armor delivery and Talen set off for the Office of Imperial Commerce hoping to receive news about his stall or a home. When he walked into the building it was to again find it packed with people filling out forms on one side and the other side filled with people shouting complaints.

When he approached the counter the same cranky, tired looking woman was standing there.

"I am here to check on whether my stall permit has been approved and to see if any homes have come up for sale." Talen watched as she dragged a large tome from under the counter.

"Name?", the woman droned in a bored tone.

"Walks -in- Silence."

She opened the book where a giant red piece of fabric was sticking out and started going down the names, flipping the pages over until she came to the last entry. "Not on the approved list, yet. Check back tomorrow."

She stuffed that one under the counter and brought out a sheet of paper, holding it up so he wasn't able to see what had been written on it. He saw her eyes skimming down the sheet then stop and read several lines before slipping the paper back under the counter.

"Apparently you have been approved to obtain a home in the city ... somehow." She pulled out another set of papers and rifled through them until she found the one she had been looking for, checking the other paper to the one she had pulled out. "This one just came on the market. It needs a bit of repair, small starter home, perfect for argonians as it is near the water. I am guessing one of the things you would be selling in your stall is fresh fish from the waters around the city? It would be a good place for you. It costs 4,000 gold Septims."

"You said it was near the water? I take it the home is in the Waterfront district?" He frowned when she nodded.

"Do you want the home or are you just going to waste my time?"

"Four thousand is a lot of money, I will be back after I visit the site. Are there any other options? One in the Elven Garden district, perhaps. Doesn't have to be very big."

"No. Each district has certain requirements. Anyway, there were none available there. Lucky to have one at all, the others are all waiting for the year to be up on the abandonment requirement or are awaiting serious repairs and inspections, before it can be resold. You adventurers are all alike, buying property then going off to die in some dank cave and leaving the city to tend to your homes for a year before we can sell it to recoup the losses."

She jotted down the location and shoved the scrap of paper across the counter. "Come back when you decide to buy it, and bring the gold with you. No credit and it must be the full purchase price. NEXT!"

Talen grabbed up the paper reading the directions on it then headed back to the boarding house. Waterfront district or not ... he may have just been offered the first step in being able to really propose to her. The next would be to go back to the armor smith to see if he knew of a Saxhleel jeweler in the city. It was time to start designing and crafting the unique wedding band for Shalaree. He had the ore to smelt, the bit of pure white mammoth tusk to use as an inlay on the band and three flawless gems to use to make the ring.

When he burst into their room he found Shalaree standing in the middle of it, a book in one hand and her staff in the other, when she had grabbed it up to meet the intruder.

"For fuck sakes, Talen, I could have electrocuted you for that stunt." She put the staff back against her chair and laid the alchemy book on the table. "What the hell is it this time?"

"We may have a home. We need to go look at it. Said it was near the water, that district isn't the safest or best location, but it's a home. Come on hurry up and put your boots on." Talen shifted from foot to foot and his tail swung side to side, almost knocking over the tall vase that was sitting beside the door as he impatiently waited for her.

"Alright, hold your horses, buddy," she grunted as she pulled her lace up boots out from under the bed and hiked up her dress to put the soft boots on. She barely had time to stand up and straighten the skirt before he grabbed her by the hand and hustled them out the door.

They cut through the Green Emperor Way, bypassing the trek through the Talos Plaza in order to shave a few hours off of walking. When they went through the gates into the waterfront district he pulled out the paper again and they started to follow the directions. They passed several businesses and a few times she had to cover her nose from the stench of rotting fish from the docks until they saw the lighthouse. He checked the paper again and the thick plates above his eyes drew down and he turned and looked at the row of houses and businesses.

"Where is this place?" They started walking again and stopped when they reached the end of the pier.

"This isn't a joke? Is it?" She asked him, seeing him growing more frustrated as the minutes went by. He shook his head and they started back, when they reached the lighthouse again he stopped one of the guards and showed her the paper.

"This district isn't the safest place to raise a family. Are you sure you want to live here? The area is full of drunks and thieves." The female guard asked them after seeing the nice clothing they were both wearing, neither one looked to be one of the more seedy or shady characters that usually could be found on the waterfront.

"This is where the woman at the Commerce Office told us the home we could buy was located. But we can't find it. Everything is either a business or looks occupied." Talen looked at the guard who handed him the paper.

"That's because you're looking in the wrong place. The only place for sale in this area is outside of the walls. Go through the gate down that alleyway there and turn right. There is a for sale sign on the ... home."

They looked at each other then thanked the guard before heading to where she had pointed. They pushed the squeaky gate open and followed the narrow passage through the wall until it reached the other side. They both stopped in their tracks when they saw the dilapidated buildings on the other side of the wall. Old buckets and other pieces of clutter were laying around, laundry that looked like it was no more than still dirty rags was hanging on lines stretched between shacks. And that was what they were... run down shacks.

"Talen?" She pointed to a tiny building in front of them, the logs of the home looked worn, weathered and were bowed from warping. Boards were cracked and the roof was missing several wood shingles. There was one tiny, shuttered window and several crates piled up outside the home. A For Sale sign was nailed to a stake in front of it, leaning over so far they thought the next gust of wind would blow it over.

"This... this can't be it. They are asking for four thousand Septims for a home here, Shalaree. For this ... place." Talen took several steps back from the shack and dropped down on one of the crates littering the area. "I asked if there was another home. She said no, everything was tied up for almost a year still. What are we going to do? I can't let you live like this. I can't marry you if I can't provide a safe home. I promised you a place to settle..."

"Come on, let's go back to the boarding house and discuss it there. See what other options we have. We'll figure something out." She gently took him by the arm and pulled him up, she knew all his hopes had been pinned on finding them a home here. The place that was offered to them looked smaller than her quarters on the Normandy, and no where near as comfortable.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.
> 
> I seemed to have lost quite a lot of readers to this story after posting the slight smut scene. To those that didn't like it I apologize. I don't know if it was because it was horrible or if there is an issue with them being a mixed species couple. If the majority would rather this not contain any scenes between them past a kissing scene please let me know in the comments and I will change it for the future chapters.

* * *

 

Talen hadn't said much the entire way back, nor did he want to talk about it over dinner. What dinner he bothered to eat. Luther had stopped by their table and asked if anything was wrong with their food. Shepard told him no, they just had received some bad news was all.

Shepard jerked awake, the room was in complete darkness, her senses alert for once. Something wasn't right. She laid there for a moment, then it dawned on her, she didn't hear Talen breathing beside her. "Talen?"

Nothing but silence answered her. She threw back the covers and lit the candle on the bedside table. Her eyes going to the corner where their packs were. Both of them were still there and she let out a small breath. She quickly tossed on some clothes and checked the rest of the area, noticing his boots were gone. She jogged down the stairs and into the dining room of the hotel and took a quick glance around, Luther caught her eye and he nodded toward the other end of the room where the bar was. Talen was sitting on one of the stools with his head pillowed on his arm and several empty bottles in front of him.

She let out a sigh and went to help him up to their room to sleep it off. "Come on, let's go. Things will look better in the morning, after your hangover is gone, anyway."

The argonian was a lot heavier than what he looked and even with her enhancements it was a struggle to get his, almost dead weight, up the stairs and into their room and in the bed. She removed his boots and pouch putting it in her drawer, then undressed and laid back down. A few minutes later his heavy arm draped over her and he started to snore.

It was mid afternoon before he stirred, groaned and put his hands on his head trying to ease the pounding he felt there, his mouth felt like it was stuffed with dirty rags and his breath probably smelled like it too. What the hell did he do last night?

"Good afternoon, it's about time you woke up." Her voice was soft but it still grated on his pounding head. "There is some tea that Luther had one of his staff bring up for you. Said it was a mixture from the alchemists for sobering up the drunks enough to get them the hell out of his place at closing. He said it also helped with the next day headaches."

He groaned and tried to sit up only to fall back on the bed again. He heard her sigh and move toward him. Once she had him upright she gave him a cup, then poured some water into a basin, set out the stuff he used to clean his teeth with, along with the herbs they chewed for their breath. She remembered the first time he handed her the packet and told her what they were for, she laughed and said it would be simpler if someone would just invent the damn toothbrush and paste in this place.

When he finally got around to getting up, he grumbled and then headed to the bathroom. When he came back after cleaning up she had a fresh set of clothes laid out for him.

"Are you ready to talk yet?" She asked from where she was sitting on the chair.

"What is there to talk about? I won't let you live in a dump like that. They have nothing else available. I'm a complete failure as a mate and we aren't even married yet."

She started to laugh, "you aren't a failure. You had no way of knowing where that woman was sending you or in what condition that place was. I have yet to figure out if they did it because it really was the only home they had, or if it was because of you being an argonian. Either way, you haven't failed me. Understand?"

He only let out a grunt and dropped on the bed to put his boots on.

"Talen, what other options are there?"

He let out a huge sigh and bent forward. "We stay here in this boarding house until another home comes up. We camp outside the city. Or we leave and go somewhere else and hope that we can find somewhere to live in another town."

She got up and moved toward the bed, sitting beside him. "What would you like to do?"

He took her smooth hand in his rough plated one, "I don't know Shalaree. I honestly hadn't thought about what to do after reaching here."

She let out a hum sound, "well, we don't have to decide right away. We paid up for at least another week, when it gets close to that time we should have made a choice and can move forward from there. It will give us time to think and discuss things, then get prepared for it. Now come on and show me more of this city and its shops and sights to see." He let out a groan but got up and led the way out the door.

 

* * *

 

Talen - Ai had just opened the door to the Commerce office when two khajiits came out.

"Ahh, thank you friend. It is quite stuffy in there even for this khajiit. Not to mention the woman is as mean as a harpy."

The one khajiit took a closer look at the couple in front of them. "Shalaree, this khajiit thought he recognized your scent. It is Ma'jhad, we were just picking up our border papers." He smiled warmly at her and took her hand in his, "this one is glad to see you again before we go into the coldness of Skyrim."

"I'll be right back out, just let me check to see if there is any news." Talen - Ai gave her a quick nuzzle and hurried through the door before someone could get in front of him. The others moved out of the way to talk some more.

"Ma'dran has us set up outside of the walls of the city. He is currently looking through other's wares to see what can be bought and resold for profit. We were joined by another caravan of Ri'saad's heading for their own assigned route so will be here for a while, they do not like to hurry when signing papers after getting their ... taxes and fees in hand."

She smiled at him and nodded her understanding. Gave him her own story about the problems they were having with the officials as well. "So, now we are not sure what to do exactly."

"Maybe you should come to Skyrim as well? Ri'saad and Ma'dran both say that there is profit to be made there. The sands are cold and it is not as tame as Cyrodiil. The holds leaders are too busy fighting and maybe short of men to do small tasks, yes, like bandits and such. The bounties there can help build your fortune. Many opportunities, Ri'saad says. If you're willing to work and take chances for them."

Shepard gave a hum and told him she would discuss it with Talen - Ai.

"It is good. Come to the camp later. Both of you speak with Ma'dran. He will also want to see any goods and wares you may yet have to sell."

After the khajiits left she went inside the building to find Talen still standing in line behind two people. His head in his hand and his shoulders drooping.

"Head still hurting?" She looked up as he moved his fingers enough for him to look between them at her.

"Yeah and all this noise isn't helping much. What did those khajiits have to say?"

"Ma'jhad gave us something to think about, he also said that they were camped outside the city and we should let Ma'dran take a look at the gear we got left, he might buy it." They moved up a bit after the guy at the counter yelled then went stomping out past them.

When it was finally their turn the woman asked if he was there to buy the home in the city. Shepard laughed and told her to take the rundown shack and shove it, she'd seen caves that were in better shape and more livable than that pile of boards. The woman frowned at her and Talen just asked if his stall application was accepted yet. The woman pulled out the ledger and slammed it down on the desk before looking down the recent additions. "No."

Talen nodded and told her he would be back tomorrow, hopefully by then news of being accepted or not would be finalized, then they left as the woman shoved the book back under the counter.

Talen took her to a small shop specializing in women's clothing then promptly fell asleep on the bench as she shopped, his snores mixing with the other men who were in various chairs or on benches. When she was done she shook him awake and they went back to the boarding house just in time for dinner.

 

* * *

"So that was what he said. You've been to this Skyrim place, what do you think? Could we make it there? It sounds like with all that's going on we might do well as bounty hunters." She put her fork down as she waited for him to say something.

"Skyrim is a cold place, Shalaree. The people there do not like outsiders. Towns are few and far between with very few Inns between villages, we would be sleeping in tents or whatever shelter we can find. When I was there it was still early in their Civil War, the roads were already dangerous, thieves and brigands everywhere. The climate is much harsher there, one minute the sun could be shining the next a blizzard has started. The wildlife is even more vicious, we would have more to contend with than just wolves and bears. There are huge cats there that can rip a person apart with just a few swipes of their huge paws. The skeevers, those giant rats, don't just stay in the sewers or swamps. They are roaming the woodlands, caves and tunnels. There was talk of spiders bigger than we are that comes out at night, their poison can freeze you and is powerful. I just don't know ..."

She went back to eating as he held up a hand asking for another ale. He glanced at her and noticed the worried look on her face, "we'll talk some more after we go and see the caravan in the morning. I'll talk with Ma'dran then."

 

* * *

 

Shepard stayed in the khajiit camp talking with them and the new ones that told her their route would run through several of the smaller settlements in Skyrim, Ri'saad already had all of the major holds covered but offered opportunity to small caravaneers for a small fee. All of them were a bit apprehensive on leaving for these lands but all of them, for whatever reason, trusted in the word of this Ri'saad, that had sent word and funds from Skyrim and set up their caravans.

When Talen and Ma'dran had returned from the stable, pulling the hand cart loaded with sacks and a few crates behind them, they saw Shepard and Ma'jhad sitting near the fire and she had a lock in her lap and he was trying to teach her how to pick it, they were both laughing at her continuous failed attempts, while the other guards were sitting around repairing or cleaning their gear and talking quietly. Their acceptance of her in their camp was easy to see.

"It is rare to see a human who looks beyond outer appearance and prejudices of a race." Ma'dran told Talen as Shepard's laughter echoed across the camp.

"Shalaree is unique in many aspects. She told me of what Ma'jhad had said of possibly going to Skyrim as well. I don't know about taking her into such a cold, harsh land." He helped to stack the crates into the large caravan wagon as he spoke.

"The white sands of Skyrim are indeed bitterly cold, my friend. But opportunity abounds there. Here you will be nothing more than another argonian eeking out a living. There, with enough work, you and Shalaree can make a name for yourselves. The Jarls of their holds are busy with this war, rumors that come from the north have the people at odds with some of them. They are pulling their people, that are needed to guard their towns and settlements, away to take part in this war. It leaves them vulnerable and many bandits have begun to terrorize the smaller settlements and towns. Hunters of such people and the beasts that are killing their unguarded livestock, and many other small requests that come from the people can earn their favor, my friend. And with enough favor, from enough people, even a Jarl will have to pay attention and reward you for your help. Or risk the people's ire."

Talen looked at him, then finished handing him the sacks that disappeared into one of the many compartments built into the khajiit's caravans. He didn't look too closely as most knew that the units held many compartments that were used to smuggle in moon sugar and skooma. The older khajiit had given him much to think on. They stayed with the caravan for their evening meal and promised to come and see them again, they would still be there until the leader of the other caravan received her crossing papers.

They were laying in bed, Talen absently stroking her forearm when he murmured that they would need many more furs and warm clothing. They would also need to go see the wagon builder. The roads of Skyrim are much less traveled by wagons and they would need a more sturdily built, larger wagon and horses bred to pull it and a heavy load. They would need to go hunting too. "We'll check the notice board after we get done. We'll need to start building up money again as this will probably take most of what we have to prepare for this journey. It's not going to be easy there, Shalaree."

He felt her grip his fingers and he pressed a kiss to her head.

 

* * *

 

  
The next morning they headed to the stable to ask if they knew a reputable builder for a wagon to suit their needs. The stable master leaned against one of the beams of the outdoor horse stalls and rubbed his chin.

"Heading to Skyrim, ehh. Well now, my brother he builds wagons. But seeing as how you won't be needing two of them and will probably be selling the one you got now, maybe I can help you out, if you are willing to discuss a possible deal for the one you got and the horse too."

Talen hummed and crossed his arms over his chest, "we can discuss it, no guarantees I will take the deal though."

The stable master nodded then pushed away from the beam, "come with me I'll show you what I got." He led them to a large building further along the wall of the city and unlocked it while the guards looked over the two people with the owner.

When he lit the lanterns and handed each one to carry, he moved over to a large covered object and placed his own lantern on a barrel before asking them to help him with the cloth. What was revealed was a large caravan wagon. Even bigger than the ones that Ma'dran and they other khajiit had.

Talen started to look it over for anything that looked broken or roughly patched. He found many hidden compartments and an area under the driver's seat that was one large metal strongbox. He stood up in the back of the wagon and looked at the stable master who only shrugged.

"Skooma smugglers wagon. The bastard was trying to smuggle enough skooma and moon sugar from Elsweyr into Cyrodiil and Skyrim to sink a damn barge. But this wagon held the weight. The compartments are well hidden and lockable. There are covers that go over those keyholes by the way. I have them in a box and the wagon has been checked top to bottom. New wheels just put on a few months ago. Someone else was going to buy it until the war started, then he skipped out and headed for Valenwood, said he wanted to be as far from the Skyrim border as he could get and didn't want to waste his money on a wagon when a horse could get him there faster."

Shepard looked at the wagon, noticing it was almost twice as large and the seat alone was a couple of feet above her head.

"Those wheels there need to be large. Skyrim has some mighty bad blizzards from what I heard. Regular wagons and carriages would get stuck, they learned to build them taller. The undercarriage will rarely get stuck on anything lying in the road and fording streams will be easier, less chance of getting bogged down, even with a heavy load. Not only that but the wood this thing was built from was enchanted with some type of spell, that shit didn't even chip when we were attaching a new wheel and the hammer smashed against it. The only thing that wasn't protected were the wheels apparently, because one of them had snapped a spoke. It was the only reason that damned elf was caught." He made a noise like a chuckle and leaned against the wall, waiting.

Shepard backed up and started looking around the wagon again. "You said your brother builds wagons? Can he also customize them?"

"Huh?" The man scratched his head.

"Can he make modifications to it? Say if I wanted to change or add something to it, would he be able to do it?"

"I guess so, as long as it won't affect the safety or balance, something like that. Why?"

Talen was looking at her as well from where he was sitting on the driver's bench.

"Because I have an idea. This won't be a smugglers wagon anymore, if he can make the changes, it will be our mobile home, Talen." She smiled up at him and patted the side of the wagon.

The stable master told them to come back in the morning, he would make sure his brother was there for them to talk to.

 

* * *

 

The notice board was stuffed with people wanting things found, some of them were illegible and faded from time and the elements. They found several that looked new and were promising. One of which was a bounty notice from the Court for clearing the bandits out from a cave. It looked to have been just put up. Talen yanked it from the board before a smelly merc in iron armor could get to it.

Shepard found another, hidden under a few lost dog postings, for someone wanting a delivery made and another wanting a supply of healing potions. They went to the first address for the postings that she had found and finished up the delivery that was several crates worth of parchments and three more crates of inkpots for the Arcane University. While they were there they purchased several more recipes after explaining where they were headed. The older woman frowned a bit, then searched through several more drawers before finding the ones she had wanted.

"Here dear, this is a potion to help with the cold. It's a bit more advanced, but if you are careful and follow the steps from the book and the recipe you should be fine. It's listed in your book, before you ask, so you can compare it." She hesitated for a moment then leaned on the counter. "Since you haven't a lick of magic about you dear and you are going into a dangerous area will you heed this old woman's advice? Most of what you find up there is resistant to cold magics. Stock up on fire scrolls and possibly a fire staff before you leave, and if I am not mistaken, the enchanter just received his stock of empty soul gems."

She let out a hiss, "the nords do not trust magic my dear. When you get there, head north. Far to the north is the College of Winterhold. It will be the only place where you will be able to reliably stock up on potions, ingredients and other things. Don't be surprised if those ice brains treat you badly. Get lessons and books on learning enchanting while you're here. That is all they will trust the mages there for. It can help be a source of income for you as well as you travel. The equipment you find can be enchanted and sold for a higher price. And don't be afraid to send a courier to me if you need recipes or advice. Though with the war it may take a while to get here and back."

They made their purchases then headed toward the Elven Garden district and spoke with an elderly man that answered the summons at the door. He needed a rather large cache of healing potions at a much reduced cost as they were for his ailing wife and the mage's wanted too much for them. Shepard asked if basic ones were alright, the man eagerly nodded and she told him she would bring him by what she could first thing tomorrow if he would cover the cost of the bottles and sealing supplies. She also warned him that she was new at it so they weren't going to be as good as the ones from the alchemists. He waved his hand and tutted her, as long as they worked it would be good enough.

They hurried to the room and swapped out their clothing for their armors and headed for the main gate, their next stop was the Dzonot Cave, right outside the city.

 

* * *

 

There wasn't much in the way of foliage or cover for them to hide behind as they made their way toward the cave and they soon spotted two bandits pacing outside of the cave entrance. Two separate bow twangs were heard as steel tipped arrows winged their way toward the men. One dropped, the other one stumbled and tried to rush toward them, a second arrow found its mark and dropped the bandit in his tracks.

"We'll need to upgrade your bow, taking down game here is one thing, but it's just not strong enough to take down a heavy armored bandit or a much more powerful animal in one hit." They stripped the bodies and headed toward the cave, she swapped her bow for her new staff of firebolts to try it out. Before they entered the cave he made sure to check her armor over, then had her double check his tail armor.

"How does that elven set feel?" He whispered to her and she gave a slight shrug.

"It's definitely different than the leather set, a bit more like what I was used to. The metal is a bit too shiny, will need to rub it with something I think or else the reflection of any light will give me away, even with the enchantment for stealth on my boots."

He gave her a small hum then they both went quiet as they walked through the cave opening. They heard the shuffling of feet above them and Talen glanced up at the natural bridge formation and saw shadows moving as someone walked around up there. He made the sign for quiet and he moved them along the wall, staying in as much of the shadowed area as he could. She grabbed his arm at one point and hissed that there was a tripwire strung up across the floor in front of them.

He looked back and saw her eyes glowing from the Night eye spell they had put on her helm. He carefully stepped over it and she followed him. She moved in front of him and held him back. "There is someone up ahead, he's facing the other way, toward the other cave opening but I can't tell if he's a bandit or not. They don't seem to be trying to hide or anything."

They waited a minute and she shook her head slightly as the time for the spell wore off. A few seconds later they heard a ruckus up ahead as whoever it had been was spotted by the bandits in the room. He held her back as the fighting died down, they heard a bandit yell to be alert there may be more coming.

Talen dropped his head and muttered that any surprise they would have had has been thoroughly squashed by the other person. He swapped his bow for the sword and they headed in. They were spotted immediately and set upon by both bandits, the one had a bloody rag around his upper arm and the other had a gash in thigh. Talen went for the one with the thigh injury as Shepard pointed her staff and activated it. A huge ball of fire went flying out of the end heading straight for the bandit. When it hit him it sent out a burst that caught both the other bandit and Talen in its flames.

"Shit!" She yelled and ran to where he was trying to roll around on the dirt covered floor to put himself out as the golden glow of a healing spell flashed.

When the flames were gone he laid panting on the floor, the swirls of healing light pulsing around him.

"Thank the Divines I upgraded my armors and had them put an enchantment on the damn chest piece for magical defense. What in Oblivion was that, Shalaree?"

"It was the staff. I don't understand. It was only supposed to send out a fire bolt, not cause an explosion too." She grunted as she helped him up.

"Let me see this thing," he grabbed the staff from her hand and took it closer to where the light from a small fire was. He read the inscription on the piece of metal and leather that served as the grip for the staff and let out a sigh. "Shalaree... did you read this carefully before you paid for it?"

"Yeah ... there was a card on it. _'Words of power to activate this staff are, globi flammerum.'_   The mage at the counter pointed to the barrel when I said I wanted a good flame staff. She told me that the serpent headed one was a flame bolt and after hearing what it would do I thought it would be good. That's what I got."

"No, Shalaree, you bought a staff of fireballs. They have a blast radius. And this is a dragon depiction not a serpent."

"Oh." She hung her head and he could tell she was blushing profusely at her mistake.

He let out a light laugh and handed her staff back, "put that one away, best to use that when we are outside and there is a group of enemies, preferably with me nowhere near them yet. We'll pick up a flame bolt staff when we get back to town. Come, let us see what those bandits were guarding." They opened the two crates that were in the room and took whatever was useful. As he gathered the cairn bolete caps for her to use in the healing potions she found the other person that they saw.

"Talen, that other one was a woman, one of those orcs." She heard him let out a grunt then tell her to strip anything of use. "She doesn't have much, looks like she had what that one merc in town had on, iron and it's not glowing or anything." She held out a handful of Septims that she found in a pocket of the leather pants she had on under the iron armor.

"Did you find her weapon?" He pocketed the money and helped her to look around when she shook her head no. They finally found it behind a rock, the blast from the fireball must have thrown it or it was knocked from her grip when she was attacked by the bandits. Talen picked it up and held it out to her. "Enchanted. Tuck it into your pack, we'll get it checked out later."

They moved into the next room and an arrow flew over Shalaree's head, the bandit had heard the commotion in the other room and had been waiting for them, it was answered by the purple blue bolt of lightning from the end of the staff held in her hands. "Well at least this one doesn't explode."

He let out a soft snort then bent down to flip open the lid of the crate that was along the wall. When they exited the hallway it opened up into the area that was above the main entrance. They carefully made their way over the small bridge like protrusion to the other side and were attacked by two bandits that had just came from out of the hallway in front of them. Their valuables were stripped and Talen Ai healed them before he opened the chest that had been tucked up against the cave wall.

The second part of the cave was a bit curved, when they had entered Talen spied a bandit leaning against the wall and pinned him to it with an arrow to the chest before he could sound an alert. They heard shuffling of feet just around the corner and both of them crouched down and moved toward the sound, the enchantment on their boots muffling most of the noise they made as they did. The bandit let out a soft grunt as he collapsed, but it was loud enough to gain the attention of the better armored foe that was heading toward them with a huge battlehammer at the ready.

They stripped the ringleader of the elven gear, Talen - Ai running his hands over it and frowning, it would take many hammers or quite a bit of Septims to fully repair the set and have it all enchanted. He shrugged and jammed it all in his pack, it would go to the blacksmith to be sold, he really didn't need another set of armor. The chests were opened and bandits were picked over, adding several gems and more lockpicks to his pouch while she added a small pouch of mushroom caps and wrapped meat to hers. She gave him a huge grin when he told her it was boar meat and would make a tasty roast or stew, she shook her head. "Oh no, boar meat was one of the ingredients I needed for the potions for that old man, this is going to be used for it."

"Well at least boar is plentiful to the west, we should stock up. We need to find a decent amount of salt to cure it all with, same with venison. We need the hides and furs as well. I don't want to have to buy them if we can help it."

They exited the cave and headed back to town, she went to the Arcane University to use their alchemy lab and purchase the supplies, while he went to collect their bounty and sell the stuff they picked up.

The next morning they stopped at the older man's home and after showing him the receipt for the phials and sealing supplies, she had Talen -Ai place the crate of potions on a small table. The supplies that they had found inside the cave was enough to yield over twenty potions. The man happily handed her a small pouch of coins and asked for her address if she was to be in town for a while he would like to pay for her services to obtain more of the potions. She told him the name of the boarding house, he nodded telling her he knew of the place and would send around a note when he needed more.

The stop inside the Commerce office didn't go so well. They still had no news on if he was to be accepted. He told them that he would like to cancel it, they would be leaving the city since they were not able to purchase decent lodgings nor receive a timely answer. He requested the border pass paperwork and strongly suggested that this be approved in a timely manner or complaints would be made.

The bank had been none to happy when he stopped in to close his account, when asked why, he told them that he was leaving the city since the Commerce office didn't seem to want either his trade nor give him the rights to buy a proper home, as such he wouldn't be needing the use of the bank. Talen - Ai placed the neatly stacked pile of banknotes in a piece of leather and tied it up, slipping it into his survival pack.

The stable master and wagon builder were waiting for them outside the city walls and while she went over the plans she had in her head and the wagon builder hastily sketching out the changes, Talen grabbed several sacks from the food barrels and went hunting.

Later that night he stopped at the stable to salt the meats and stretch the hides and saw them still going over the changes she wanted made. Lanterns were hung everywhere and there were baskets of food and drinks sitting on several barrels. She was wildly gesticulating with her hands and arms about something concerning the side of the caravan when the stable master shook his head. "I ain't never heard of such things that your woman's mind came up with. If my brother can pull it off ... this may make him one of the most popular wagon builders for long distance travelers in this entire area. Listen, I'll give you a good deal for your old horse and wagon. Once they are done with the plans we can set about getting you some Skyrim farm horses brought down. The ones there are bred for the cold and are hardy and strong. I'll make sure you don't get a raw deal with them. I know of several good, reasonable breeders in Falkreath to get them from."


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those continuing to read and for those new to this story, I hope you are enjoying it.
> 
> A quick reminder, I don't use a beta or proofreader, so any mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation are entirely my own.

* * *

 

Over the next month each morning they would wake and head out to the notice board after eating, grabbing anything that looked promising. Their next stop would inevitably be the stable master. After they had finalized the plans they paid half the amount he had requested, with the other half due before they picked up the wagon. The stable master had sent off the courier with letters of interest to the horse breeders he knew, looking for the very large, heavy and strong draft horses. Giving them assurances that the Septims would be forthcoming when the missives with the details arrived, if they were accepted. The stable master warned them against sending inferior stock. The couple that would be buying them were not ones to try and cheat and his business was on the line.

After spending time going over the plans and seeing the changes that were made to the wagon, some of which had to be reworked in their plans as the builder just couldn't do it with the items and tools he had, she felt the wagon would definitely suit their needs for some time to come. Talen still didn't understand some of the things she requested and would scratch his scaled forehead when she started pointing at things again and elaborating to the builder.

So far they had cleared several bandit camps, found someone's lost dog, explored several caves to gather up the mushroom caps to make the old man in the Elven Gardens district another batch of potions and today they planned on hunting. They needed many more furs and hides. The cook at the boarding house offered to buy any fresh venison and boar they brought back. While she went over the wagon examining the work that had been done, he hitched up their old horse to the small wagon and waited. When she was done they headed down the road turning south, there was plentiful game to be had toward the south west and according to his map, also several caves.

They had notified Luther that they would be gone for several days, the room was locked and it would be best for him to remind his staff to not go inside, they wouldn't like the repercussions of it. Luther grinned at them and nodded, telling them to just bring back the meat for his cook and don't worry he'd make sure his people didn't go near their room.

Their first stop would be a cave called Haynote. According to Talen's calculations, as long as they didn't run into too many problems on the way they should reach it in about two hours. She settled back on the seat and closed her eyes. It felt like just moments later when she felt the wagon pull to a stop.

"We're a bit away from the cave yet, but this is a pretty sheltered area to set up camp in when we get back. The horse should be safe here once we check the area."

Shalaree drew out her firebolt staff, this time double checking that she had the right one, as they approached the cave opening.

Talen placed a large candle inside a lantern then lit it handing it to Shalaree to carry. He had wanted to buy ones that would attach to rings on their belts but she thought it could break, catching them on fire since they used oil instead of a candle. If they got into trouble she could drop the lantern or just blow out the light if needed.

She watched as he raised his one hand and it started glowing with a slight purple tint as he made a fist, when he opened his hand the glow disappeared. "What was that?"

"Baltham's Insight, short term spell to detect any living creatures that would be right near us, like in the next room but it only lasts 5 seconds so we can't stand around and talk right after I cast, just like we did, because the spell wears off fast and now I have to recast it. So, before I do, are you ready?"

"Yeah, sorry about that."

He smiled down at her, "it is nothing to be sorry about, dear. It is good that you are asking questions, just may be a better idea to wait until after we're clear." He raised his hand again and prepared the spell, after moving down a short corridor he let the spell go and two glowing, moving objects appeared. "Put out the lantern, here we go." She blew it out and everything went dark, he felt a tug on his pack and the slight additional weight of the now dark lantern.

They heard the scrabbling of many feet and clacking of what sound like something opening and closing rapidly against each other. Talen hissed with a low mutter to her, "land dreugh."

She swallowed and let out a low moan, she remember that thing from months ago, just a short time after they had started to adventure together they had been attacked by one, now there seemed to be two heading their way if the scuttling noises that were growing louder could be trusted.

A red glow appeared in one of his hands and in the other a red glow started that had small bursts of purple white lightning running it through it, a core of blue white in the middle. She glanced up at him then they rounded the corner, the elemental bolt flew from Talen's hand hitting the creature and doing fire, frost and shock damage in one large hit. Shalaree targeted the other one and unleashed the firebolts from the staff, one after the other hit the abomination in the chest. The tough, chitinous shell beginning to crack from the magical fire, she jabbed at it, twirling the staff and keeping the claws and scythe like appendages from coming close to her.

Talen started to cast his flame spell and move around the room, when the creature stopped to raise its two front claws he quickly drew his bow, the magical enchantments on it allowed him to use the steel tipped arrows he had in his quiver to damage the otherwise immune creature. A screeching noise sounded as the purple glow flashed and the bound soul flew into his pack and was trapped in a gem. He turned to fire on the one that was still attacking Shalaree, it only took two arrows before it too succumbed to the spell that trapped its soul into a different gem.

Shalaree twirled her staff and gave a huge grin as Talen relit the candle in the lantern. He chuckled at her, handing the lantern over as he set about gathering the ingredients. When he was done he looked around the room finding a few chests and opening them, a couple of pouches of coins, potions and some armor that looked like it had been inside the chests for a while, was added to their bags before they moved on.

Talen heard the snuffle of a bear then the laughter of a spriggan as they entered a different area, the greenish light from the summoned bear also showed something else coming toward them, a rather large minotaur came charging with a large warhammer held firmly in both of his hands.

They split up, Talen's dual cast of flames directed at the minotaur while Shalaree backed up toward the center of the previous room, her hand reaching into her bag for her other staff, as soon as it cleared the bag and she was sure she was far enough away, she launched several fireballs toward the spriggan, on contact the ball of fire expanded catching the bear in its fiery heat. She kept backing and circling until flashes of purplish arrows flew past her, the spriggan gave a scream and fell for the last time.

When they were ready to move on Talen led the way, his steps muffled, thanks to the enchantment. He stopped when he heard the bellow of at least one more bear. He quickly cast the detect spell and whispered, "two, to the right side of the room straight ahead." Shalaree tapped his arm and he waited until she brought out her bow and he handed her a bundle of arrows to refill her quiver with. When she tapped again they started moving, both of them sending out arrows at the closest of the bears.

Shalaree sat on an outcropping of rock while Talen finished rendering the bears, they needed the heavy pelts in the best condition possible and that meant he needed to do it until she became more experienced. When he was done they moved on, fighting their way through several more spriggans and their summoned bears. They finally made it to a doorway and saw a long hallway beyond. They moved back from it and collapsed on a flat, raised surface of rock that was in a corner to rest and eat before going through the doorway.

They checked their armor and weapons, placed a new candle in the lantern and started down the hallway. It emptied into a large room, a bright glowing light was at the farthest end and she heard Talen let out a hiss that sounded like, "wisp".

"Huh?"

"That damn thing is a will 'o the wisp, if I get hit by it my magicka suffers. Damn things block some of my mana pool. We would have to wait here for at least another hour for it to wear off, then waste a potion or wait even longer for it to regenerate on its own."

They heard the snuffling of more bears nearby and split up, Shalaree going after the wisp and Talen heading for where he had heard the bears. After they were down, Shalaree looked around the room, opened a box finding a few potions and some coins. Then made her way back to where Talen was placing the meat into his special bags. "Okay, there is that wisp I took down, 5 sets of really weird looking mushrooms, and a locked chest."

"Well done, I'll grab them once I'm done here. Looks like bear stew or steaks for dinner tonight and tomorrow and the day after."

She let out a laugh and nudged the back of his head, "better than eating pieces of monsters...ugh, I still can't believe you eat stuff from those crab things. I mean, if they actually looked like crabs and didn't try to kill me, sure, I'd eat them. But the damn things clack those claws and try to eat me."

Talen let out a huff and stood up, "trust me, Shalaree, I'd love to eat you myself. Will if you give me the chance and you know you'd like it." Her jaw dropped and he gave a laugh before walking over to clear out the other items.

"You're such a pervert."

"Maybe, but I'm your pervert and no one else's." He lit the lantern and grinned at her before heading into the next area.

They crossed over a stone bridge and heard a bellow from below them and peered over the edge, a minotaur was down there swinging a giant axe and trying to scramble up the sheer sides of the wall to get to them.

"Uh huh... don't think so," she aimed her fireball staff at it and let loose with several blasts. When the bellows tapered off they looked down to see a smoking corpse.

They continued on, finding a trapdoor in the one room, they debated opening it up or finishing checking the rest of the area. They decided to check the rest, if they encountered anything heading in a completely different direction they would go back. They headed down a different passage and Talen cast his spell again, two purplish glows were seen a bit further up. The candle was put out and they moved further in. A squeak ahead had Talen groaning and Shalaree snickering.

A shuffling noise came at them from the darkness of the room ahead and a large humanoid figure came at them swinging its arms. Talen met it with a burst of flames and a swinging sword while she kept backing up, the passage was tight and she couldn't get around them to get behind the creature. When it went down with a grunt and a thump, he cast a healing spell on himself. In the glow of the spell she saw a grayish, rather rotund, bald humanoid with large feet and long, ape like arms ending in huge hands.

"What the hell is that?"

Talen rooted around in his apothecary bag and pulled out what looked like large tongs, he put his fingers in the holes, opening and closing them a few times making a metallic click sound. "Ogre. Stand back and light that lantern, so I can see his head."

"What the hell for? What are you going to do now?"

He grinned up at her and put the tool near the base of a tooth and started to yank. "Oh hell... oh my Gods...," a tearing noise came from the thing's mouth and Talen let out a grunt as he finally popped one of the huge things from its socket then went back in for the rest.

"Remember Margarte from Leyawiin? When I dropped off that ectoplasm she gave me a few more things she was interested in. Minotaur horns and ogre teeth, but the thing is," he let out another grunt as a tooth popped out, "she's paying shit for them. If the shops here aren't paying better we can make a fast trip by horseback down there before we leave, stock up on soul gems and anything else they may have and sell these things as well."

He pulled out a few more, "see these things go for about 50-75 Septims a set. Now she only wants to pay 100 Septims for 5 sets, which is piss poor, but if it comes down to it we can make some coins from them or if you want, we can hold onto them for alchemy reasons. The coins though are needed right now. While you were talking with the wagon builder, the stable owner handed me the offers from the horse breeders. Several farms have what we are looking for, from the descriptions anyway, the only thing is they are more expensive than what I was hoping for."

He stood up and put the tool away after wiping it on the leather piece hanging off of the ogre's waist, it wasn't much cleaner and Shalaree grimaced, "I'll wash it after we leave here, stop with the weird looks. Anyway, the horses, the owner suggested a pair from a farm a bit further outside of Falkreath. They want 3,000 Septims for the pair of five year old geldings, plus another 300 for a set of guards to deliver them to the stable, they said they were healthy and promised to arrive in good shape and had already been trained for pulling a wagon in tandem."

They continued through the area and after yet another ogre and several rats they came to another room with a different trap door. "What's the likelyhood of these leading to the same area?"

He scratched at the back of his neck and crouched down, "very likely. I'm going to open this up and see if we can tell how far the drop is. If it's too far we'll head back out and drop this stuff off into the wagon, get something to eat, then come back in with some rope."

When he opened the trapdoor and she held the lantern up they saw a rickety looking ladder hanging down to the cave floor, "oh you have to be shitting me, Talen. That thing looks like it could fall apart at any time, Gods only know how long that thing has been in here." He looked up at her and then back down. He could clearly see the cave floor it wasn't more than eight or nine feet down.

"It's only about a nine foot drop. If it breaks we should be alright, and it won't be that hard to get back up."

She stuck her head back over the opening and looked down, "I hope the hell you're right. If I get stuck down there I'm going to go ballistic on your ass."

"We get stuck down there and I can think of something better to do after we search for a different way out, something much better than fighting each other. It would be a most satisfying way to leave this world. Hour after hour, day after day on a bear pelt." He moved closer to her, his mouth near the side of her helmet, "moving hard inside of you, your cries of pleasure and moans of release echoing off the walls. My groans and pants as I grip your hips, holding them still, as I pound inside you, my own shout of release as I fill you to overflowing, loud in the silence of the cave. Mmm, yes, I can definitely think of much better things to do while being stuck down a hole in a cave."

"You're doing it again, Talen," she moved back from the hole and looked at the argonian.

"Doing what? I'm just fantasizing about what to do if we end up stuck down there." He was trying to pull off the innocent look again, but she was having none of it.

"You know damn well what you are doing. You're trying to get me so worked up with that damn voice of yours and getting my imagination to work over time, that I give in and have sex with you. You've been at it for the past three days. The voice thing, running your hands over me and squeezing my ass every chance you get. Not to mention the wandering hands when I'm trying to sleep and grinding yourself into my backside as I'm trying to get dressed, and don't pretend it was an accident with that "oh, pardon me" routine."

He stared at her for a minute, "is it working?"

She let out a huff of laughter, unable to stay mad at him for long, "no." She set the lantern on the edge of the hole and reached for the ladder, halfway down the rickety thing she heard a, "damn it, I got to try harder." Her lips twisted into a smile as she let herself fall the last two feet and waited for him to join her.

They searched the room at the bottom of the ladder then moved forward, putting out the candle as Talen told her there were several enemies ahead of them. Several enemies turned out to be an ogre, two spriggans, four minotaurs, two bears and a rat. By the time they were done looting, rendering down the bears and Talen's removing of the teeth and horns it must have been getting rather late as both of them were yawning.

"One last thing and that is to check the water." They walked down a natural incline into the underground lake and swam around, they found a few chests and Shalaree rolled her eyes and gave him a "you have to be kidding me look", when he pulled out the tongs and pushed the corpse of an ogre to the bottom of lake in order to remove its teeth. She floated beside him as he grinned and yanked the teeth out of the water bloated corpse. When he was done they continued on until they found another ramp up. It led back to the first area, the tunnel they swam through just circled around.

"Well that seems to be that and there is the other trap door we encountered. Ready to go?"

Her teeth started to chatter as water dripped from her armor and she gave a nod. He jumped for the lowest rung and climbed up, pushing the trap door open and helping to pull her up.

He started their fire going as she stripped her armor off and put the old leathers back on when she was inside their tent. When she came back out he had bear steaks frying in a pan along with mushrooms and onions. He waited until she dropped her armors on the other blanket for him to tend to before he stood there and stripped down to his underwear, she choked as he whipped them off and strutted past her with a rampant hard on and went inside the tent, returning about ten minutes later with only a pair of leather pants on that were loosely laced.

"I swear to God I should slap you for that."

"I can think of better things to do with your hands than slapping me, want to hear them?"

"No. Eat your steak and shut up."

 


	25. Chapter 25

* * *

 

 

Shepard felt a light tickle along her jawline, she lazily reached up and brushed at it before letting out a sigh and snuggling back down into her bedroll. A few seconds later she felt it again and frowned, once more reaching up to brush it away. She let out another sigh and adjusted the light fur covering over her before she relaxed again. When for the third time she felt something lightly tickling her, she let out an expletive and slapped at her face, she heard a low chuckle and her eyes flew open. Talen was laying beside her, naked, and had a long piece of grass between his fingers that he had been using to tickle her with.

"For fuck sakes, put some damn armor on and why the hell did you wake me." She tried to roll over when he grabbed her by the hip pinning her on her side facing him.

"I woke you because it is already mid morning, breakfast is ready. Well, I was thinking you may want dessert first. Maybe something you have yet to taste fully? A young, healthy, male Argonian, served to you naked, hard and ready to please?"

He brushed that piece of grass over her jawline again before flicking it away and scooting closer, his hand inching its way to the edge of the fur and lifting it as she laid there and stared at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me. I've just been thinking, it's been quite a while now, after our bathroom ...encounter, that maybe you would be willing to explore each other a bit? Hmm, get to know me a bit better. Maybe with your hands? A few kisses? I haven't kissed you in so long."

She stared at him and narrowed her eyes, "you're horny. That's what this is about, you want sex."

"Well, of course I do. You're to be my wife, hopefully soon, why wouldn't I want make sweet, passionate love to you? Or maybe you like it hard and fast? I can do that too. A bit of both?" He had inched his way under the top pelt of her bedroll and just as she opened her mouth to say something to him, he leaned close and swiped his long, agile tongue against her parted lips before sliding between them.

He let out a low growling groan as his tongue wrapped around hers and slid against it. His eyes closed as he felt her relax into his kiss, a slight shift and his hand was on her hip pulling her closer so she could feel his need for her against her leather encased thigh. Another minute of devouring her mouth and he shifted again, this time carefully rolling her to her back and moving to cover her. She felt him shudder and slide against her center.

Even through the thick leather of her pants she could feel his hardness and heat. He made no move to unlace them, no move to try and remove them. Just lifted her leg to wrap around him as he continued to thrust against her. His tongue slid out of her mouth and licked a trail to behind her ear, where he groaned again. "Touch me, Shalaree. Please."

Her hands came up and gripped his thickly muscled arms, sliding up to his shoulders. The large smooth plates under her palms felt strange, yet oddly familiar. She heard him moan next to her ear as her hands continued to work across his wide shoulders to his neck, one running up and gently touching the feathers, stroking them and causing him to thrust against her and shudder, the other scraping down his back, feeling the muscles bunch and relax as he moved.

He let out a small moan, then stopped his thrusts, only holding her close to him as he buried his head in her shoulder. He let out a sigh then rolled out of her arms and twisted to sit up, his back toward her.

She sat up and waited to see if he was going to say anything.

He let out a gruff laugh, "you feel nothing at my touch. It was just a fluke in the bathroom."

"I enjoy your kisses, Talen."

He let out another laugh, "my kisses... do you have any idea how much I want you, Shalaree? How much I want to make love to you? Yet... from you, there is nothing. I move against you and there is no response, your body doesn't shudder with need or want, you don't thrust up against me, letting me know you want me. Hell, your nipples pebble when it's chilly in the mornings, yet there is no reaction to my fingers brushing against them."

He held up his hand and turned it, the scales catching the meager light inside the tent, "is it because I'm so much like him, yet different? Would you react if my scales were small and not pebbled? If I had no scales but was a smooth skin, a human or elf? Covered in fur, like a Khajiit? If I didn't look like some type of ... freak, to you? A beast? Nothing but horns and scales, feathers, teeth and claws? Our people change after hatching, the sap from the Hist changes us, gives us our appearance and gender, did you know that? Maybe if I wasn't so different than your Thane... maybe then I would stand a chance at knowing your love. Or if I had been changed to an Argonian with no horns, no feathers... a different color?"

He heard her shift and she said from behind him, "you are not a beast, Talen. You are different, yes. But so are most of the other people from this world. You can't expect me to just forget about my life and love from before and turn to you with open arms as if he never mattered."

"I don't expect you to forget him or the love you have for him, Shalaree. That's not it at all. But you say you will give me a chance, yet... there is nothing. I want to be with you so badly, Shalaree, that it hurts. Both physically and mentally. Especially when... when you seem to not see me. You arrived here almost six months ago. We have been traveling together, sharing a tent, sharing a bed, yet you have made no move to touch my face, to touch my body. You've never initiated any contact but where there was no choice. I want to kiss you, touch you. I want to be able to make love with you. I want to hold you at night, tight against me, have you breathe out a sigh of contentment before we sleep."

"I want to get to know more about you. You tell me some of your past life, a snippet here and there. You've never told me what took the fun from you, you never told me how you became a warrior. The visions from the Hist are the most I know of you." He let out a snort, "hell you never told me why you kept touching the back of your ear and shaking your arm when we first met. I had no idea what was going on. I wasn't sure if it was some type of strange greeting or if something was wrong with you."

She let out a laugh, "the ear and arm thing. Where I come from we have small machines implanted under our skin, they let us communicate with others. Hmm, they translate our languages into something that the other person understands. We can use them to talk to each other when we are in teams, like if we needed to be silent or warn each other of an enemy ahead, we could do so without shouting. They could be used across battlefields, across great distances." She held out her arm and shook it, "buried under my skin is a small device, a tiny thing called an omni tool. In my world it let me send messages, received them. Let me make notes and track details and so much more. It even sent me an alert to wake me up."

He let out a small laugh and ran a clawed finger along her wrist and forearm. "Did it hurt?"

"No. It took some time to get use to if it was the first one installed. But after that not really." She propped her chin on his shoulder and let out a small sigh. "Later, when we aren't in the middle of a damn forest and you aren't sitting here butt naked, I'll tell you some of what happened to me, but not now. It isn't the most pleasant of memories."

He let out a hum, "well, a deal then. When you tell me your story, I'll tell you why the Hist decided I was the Argonian to be given to you when you were brought here. It isn't a pleasant story, either."

"Deal." She went to move away from him when he twisted slightly, his hand cupping her face.

"One more kiss?"

"One more kiss then you put on your damn armor and we go eat. We have a lot of boar to hunt before we return to the city."

 

* * *

 

It was two days later before they returned to the town, the cart loaded down with barrels and boxes stuffed full of meat and thick boar skins, even some items that they scavenged from the bandits that had attacked them in the woods. He stretched out all of the skins and started to scrape them as she took the meat back to boarding house and settled up with the cook. On the way back to the stable she stopped at the notice board and looked over the new offerings, tugging one down that looked interesting. She read it again on the way there.

"Talen, here take a look at this. A group called The Order of the Virtuous Blood is looking for help. They are offering quite a bit of gold."

He put the scraping tool down and took the notice, scanning it quickly. "Never heard of them. That's quite a bit of gold, why was this still on the board?"

She shrugged. "So what do you think? Should we go talk to this person tomorrow?"

"If you want, but I was hoping to rest tomorrow and finish up these skins and we have a bunch of bear pelts too. We can go talk to them at least, find out what's going on then make a decision." He went back to scraping the pelts and she wandered off to see their new wagon's current condition.

 

* * *

 

"Where did that note say to meet the person?" Talen asked the next evening as the walked down the steps from the boarding house.

"It says will meet the bearer of this notice in the Temple District after sunset. That's it, there's no address."

"That's pretty damn odd, but alright. Let's go."

When they arrived they looked around the area, then leaned up against one of the low walls and waited. Talen spotted a Dunmer woman that was glancing at them, then looking away again. "I think we're being sized up to see if we could do the job."

Shepard looked around and saw the woman as well. She looked down at the paper then back up again, as she did the dark elf started toward them.

"Are you here in response to the notice on the board from the Order?"

"Yes, but we want to know more before we accept the job." Talen crossed his arms and looked at her.

"All I was supposed to do was direct you to the Order's location and to tell you it was a matter of utmost importance to the Imperial City's citizens." She directed them to go see a man named, Seridur, and marked the location on their city map. When they arrived they were directed into their cellar where several people were already gathered.

"You must be the adventurers here to help us with a concern for the safety of the people here. We are the Order of the Virtuous Blood, and we hunt and kill vampires."

Shepard let out a snort and quickly covered it with a cough when the other Argonian in the room looked at her strangely.

"There is a vampire here passing himself off as an upstanding citizen of this fair city, his name is Roland Jenseric and we are looking for a stout hearted adventurer to hunt him down. He is powerful, more powerful than we are at this time. He is very dangerous and can not be left to terrorize and kill the people of this area any longer."

Talen looked at the group. "250 gold to hunt a powerful foe like a vampire... I'm not so sure about this. At least now I know why that notice was still posted on the board the past several days. I need to speak with my woman about this one." Talen grabbed Shepard's upper arm and hustled her into a far corner.

"Would you stop the damn laughing. This isn't a laughing matter, it's very serious. These people are wanting us to hunt a vampire, an ancient one or one almost as powerful, if what they said is true." The smirk slid from her face as she listened to him.

"This is another one of those ghost things isn't it? A creature from myth and horror stories that actually exists here."

He gave her a quick nod. He glanced back at the others, "let's find out more about this Roland person first then we will decide."

"Tell us more about this Roland person." Talen said the man that was standing in front of him, he didn't particularly care for the man's attitude but he agreed to listen.

"He lives here in the Temple District. We know of one victim he has claimed so far, and we have an eye witness."

"An eye witness? Who is this person and what did they see? Where do we find them to question them?" Shepard stepped up beside Talen and looked at the three people a bit closer.

"Well, that eye witness happens to be me. You see, a few nights ago, I was roaming the city as I often do, looking for any signs of a vampire. As I headed past Roland's house I heard a cry. I rushed into the back garden to find Roland struggling with a woman he'd been courting. I tried to intervene, but he was too strong. He threw his lover to the ground and turned his attention on me. Luckily, I managed to run back into the street and escape his grasp. I hid for a while and then returned to the garden. Roland was gone and the woman was dead. She had two puncture marks on the nape of her neck. That's when I realized he was a vampire."

"So he just left this woman lying there? He didn't try to take the body to hide the evidence? He didn't give chase to you or wait for you to return? If you saw a murder why didn't you shout for the guards? Did you report it?" 

"I suppose he didn't want to be captured, because he hasn't been back to his house since that night. It's probably safe enough for you to enter and search. See if you can find out where this foul creature is and kill it."

Shepard narrowed her eyes and looked at the three people in front of her, then grabbed Talen's arm and dragged him back over to the corner.

"Something smells off. I've investigated some strange stuff, and Garrus was a C-SEC officer before he joined my team. He used to tell me about some of the cases he solved, and normally the people would try to hide the evidence and most of the time any eye witnesses would be yelling bloody murder and "help me, help me" if they were being chased by someone that wanted to kill them. Not run and hide then wait it out only to return to the scene of the crime. They were usually too petrified to do something like that."

"So what did you want to do, Shalaree? Take the job or pass it."

She chewed on the side of her thumbnail, "we'll take it before someone else does and they end up doing something stupid. No jumping the gun on this though, we check it all out."

They spoke to the men again and the alleged vampire's home was marked on the map. It wasn't too far away from where they were so they headed there right after leaving Seridur's house.

She kept a lookout to warn of guards while Talen bent to pick the lock on the front door, "hurry up. I can hear someone coming."

"Shh, I'm working on it. This isn't an old lock on a half rotting chest you know." They both heard the click and rushed to open the door and get inside just as the heavy tread of a guard on patrol came around the corner.

Talen summoned his flame spell in his one hand to give them some light and Shepard pointed to a small table in front of them that had candles sitting on it. They searched the room using the meager light and Shepard held up a small book with a piece of paper sticking from it.

"Look what I found, a love letter from that woman to Roland. From the sounds of it they were in love and would meet in a cabin where they would always be safe." She held out the piece of paper to him and his heavy plates furrowed.

Cabin? A vampire would usually go for some place cold, dark and damp as their hidden lair. He put the page down and they continued to check the home.

"I don't see any blood, no coffins, no signs of any type of torture devices or hidden passages. All I see is a basement jammed with enough wine to float a boat on it." She picked up yet another bottle of cheap wine from the top of the bar. "This doesn't look like any vampire lair from the cheesy late night horror movies from 20th Century Earth I've ever seen."

Talen looked at her and tipped his head, not understanding what she was talking about but guessed it was something from where she originally came from.

"You are right. Nothing here indicates an undead. Let's go back and see if we can get more information on this guy. Then in the morning we leave to find this cabin. I'm really not wanting to go searching for a vampire in the night when they are most powerful." Talen led the way back to the front door and they sat their candles back on the table then blew them out.

 

* * *

 

"There is nothing that stinks of vampire in that home. No sign of him and no clues other than a possible cabin outside of the Imperial City where he could be hold up." Shepard said to the three men standing around in the one guy's basement.

"A cabin? Not a cave or some other well hidden location?" The Dark Elf took a few steps forward and frowned. "Cabin's aren't well protected, they have windows and gaps between the wooden slats to let in sunlight. That... that doesn't sound like a vampire's lair."

"The woman that was killed also has been there many times before apparently. If she had seen anything amiss I doubt she would have went back or would have reported it. I doubt you could hide a mass of dead bodies or puddles of blood or other such evidence for long." Talen watched all three of them as they passed on their findings.

"Maybe there is a hidden entrance, it doesn't matter. A woman was killed and I saw him do it. I would go after him myself but he is just to strong for me. So you need to finish it." Seridur said to them as the haughty Altmer stared down his nose at them. Shepard bristled, the elf reminded her of the Council when they demanded she do something for them, then wouldn't listen when she told them something they didn't want to hear.

Talen let out a slow hiss, the other Argonian in the room stared between the heavily armed and armored adventurers and the leader of the order, he was very careful not to utter a sound. Talen's tail, covered with his spiked armor, swayed, the metal spikes glinting in the light of the candles and wall sconces. "We leave to check this cabin at first light."

 

* * *

 

Talen checked the map, "it's gotta be down this side lane. The guard we passed by mentioned that he would often see a man and woman head down this road."

"This damn cabin better be down here, we've been walking around for the last three hours and the only thing we have to show for it is blisters and I've got a rash on my ass from that stupid plant."

"I warned you about using that area to take a piss in, didn't I. Shalaree, I said, best not go behind that log, I said, that plant can cause itching. Did you listen? No. "Oh, quit your bitching, you said, my skin is tough thanks to Cerberus. I won't have a problem," you said, and now look at you. Standing there wiggling around because your cute ass brushed against that plant and you won't let me put the cream on it."

"Shut the hell up and if you think I'm letting you rub a cream onto my bare ass you can think again. I'll do it when we get back to the room."

Talen let out a long suffering sigh, "I've had my hand on your ass a bunch of times. Why should me rubbing a healing cream on it make any difference."

She stopped walking to glare at him, "I know the tricks you get up too. Those fingers of yours wander near places they shouldn't. It would be, "hold still, Shalaree, I think the rash has gotten worse, it's moved closer to here". And those fingers of yours would move and I'd have to slap the green off your scales."

He smiled a toothy grin at her, "or you could just let me put the cream on the rash no matter how far it has spread."

She glared at him then started walking again. A few minutes later they spotted what looked like a poorly built cabin sitting in a small clearing.

"This is their love nest? This place looks like it would fall down if a strong wind came blowing through here." She hissed at him as they crouched in the overgrowth and kept an eye on the door.

"I can't see anyone about, but take a sniff. Wood fire and a small tendril of smoke is hanging about the chimney, do you see it?"

She nodded then pointed out the tended flowering bushes in the front near the door, "either he's a closet gardner or she had been here plenty of times. Those shrubs are tended not wild growth."

"This whole thing is not adding up, Shalaree."

"Agreed. Let's go, if he's here we'll get his side of the story. If he attacks without provocation... well, we can't do much about it."

They edged their way to the door, both of them looking around and not seeing anything that looked threatening. Talen drew his sword and had it ready, Shalaree waited for his nod before she reached out and pushed the door to the cabin open.

"Go away! I know what you're here for! Just go away!" the man shouted at them from where he was standing inside the cabin, the small wooden table between the door and him.

"Easy. We just want to talk." Talen held out a hand to the man with his palm outward.

"There aren't any other vampires here either, Talen. There aren't any protecting him."

"Vampires? What do you mean? I'm not the vampire, Seridur is. I knew that bastard would try to pin this on me. That's why I've been hiding out here." The man held up his hand. "Please, just let me explain, I should have told someone before now, but they wouldn't believe me, he's too popular, too well off."

Shepard glanced at Talen and he stared at the man across from him for a solid minute before he put the sword in the scabbard. "Tell us. We'll listen."

"Try and understand. I loved her, I'd never harm her! Relfina was the love of my life. For the first time, I had a positive outlook. Then I saw Seridur looking at her with those coveting eyes. When she started taking walks in the garden at night, I became suspicious. I didn't want to lose her. I should have trusted her... oh, Relfina.... That night, I decided to follow her. I wanted to see where she went on her walks. When she stopped in the garden, and Seridur stepped out of the shadows, my heart sank. Then, suddenly, he was upon her! She seemed entranced as he wrapped his arms around her and sank his teeth into her neck. I burst from my hiding place and attacked Seridur. He became startled for a moment and tossed Relfina aside. She fell to the ground and I heard a sickening crack as her head struck a stone. I was no equal to Seridur. He knocked me down in one quick movement. As I lost consciousness, I saw him laugh and then run away. Now I know why he didn't finish me that night. He wanted to cast suspicions on me instead." 

"So because you didn't think anyone would believe you, you kept this a secret?" Shepard asked Roland.

"I panicked. By the time I awoke, her body was gone. I knew Seridur was a respected member of the community. They'd never believe he was a vampire. I retreated here to the cabin to collect my thoughts."

"So her body was removed, that's why he didn't bother answering my questions. We would have found her body or other evidence inside your house. But there was nothing."

"What are you going to do to me? You obviously are working for Seridur." 

Shepard rubbed her upper lip. "So you are saying that you aren't the vampire?"

"No, I'm not the vampire." The man heaved out a sigh and went to rub his forehead when Shepard kicked the planks that were covering the window out and sunlight streamed through, hitting the man in the face.

"What the hell are you doing to my cabin?"

"He didn't scream, melt or burst into flames... I don't think he's a vampire."

Talen covered his eyes and shook his head.

The man blinked and shaded his eyes while Talen told him that they believed him.

"Thank you for believing me. I know about Seridur's secret order, after all what better way to hide what he is then pretend to actually hunt them. You may want to speak to Phintias at the First Edition bookshop in the Market District of the city. I know he goes there occasionally. I doubt that he's told Gilen and Grey-Throat anything, but you could always try."

He glanced at Shepard, "as you know, the vampire can't remain in sunlight. I'd wager that you'll never see Seridur outside during that time of day."

Shepard just raised her eyebrow and shrugged at him.

 

* * *

 

"I can't believe you did that." Talen growled at her as they walked back to the town.

"What? It was a good way to find out, if he would have burst into flames then we would have known for sure."

When they hit the Market district Talen walked past the bookstore and kept heading toward the Temple District, "hey, we passed the store."

"I know, I want to talk to Seridur again, those others as well."

Talen rapped on the front door of the house where the meetings were held and the door was opened by one of the other members. "We need to talk with Seridur."

The Argonian led them down into the basement where the others were.

"Well? Is he dead?" Seridur didn't want more than a few seconds as he saw who was walking down the stairs to ask the question.

"He wasn't in the cabin. We are hoping to ask some questions maybe one of you will remember something that could help us out."

"Hmmm. He must have known we'd look there. Search around town and see if you can find any more information." Seridur said before he turned to sit at a desk and ignore them.

"A shame he wasn't there. I thought that you'd be able to put an end to this madness." The Argonian said to them, shaking his head."Before he turned, Roland was a great man."

"I knew it. Like I said before, a vampire wouldn't hide in a cabin. It'd be more like a cave or some other dank place. Although... I could have sworn that I've seen him out and about in the daylight, but that can't be. A vampire can't be out in the sunlight."

Talen looked at the men then headed back to the stairs, once back outside he snarled, "those other two have no idea that their leader is a vampire. Come on let's get this over with."

Phintias stood behind the counter, piles of books were everywhere, some of the stacks looked to be ready to fall over at any time. "Can I help you?"

"We were told that you may have some information, Roland told us to come and see you, he said you could tell us a bit about Seridur and where he goes?" Talen slid his hand across the table and a stack of gold Septims quickly found it's way into Phintias' pocket.

"Seridur? He comes in from time-to-time. Usually it's when he's out shopping. He always comes in with a large amount of travel food in his bag. Then sometimes he buys a few books. I asked him once about it, and he said that he goes out of the city on business trips. I think I overheard him once mention Memorial Cave to another patron of mine, but he never talked to me about it directly." 

"Memorial Cave? Where is that?"

"It's southeast of the City, here let me mark it on your map."

 

* * *

 

Talen glanced at the sky, it was late afternoon and he debated on whether to try for the cave tonight or wait until the morning.

"Let's wait, I'm not to keen on trying to kill bloodsucking vampires at night when they are at their strongest." Shepard told him and he gave a nod, heading for the general goods store and buying a few days of dry rations for them.

 

* * *

 

They stood outside of the cave opening, "well... it's definitely a cave... that guy said this would be more inline with what vampires would want as a lair. Are we sure about this Talen?"

His tail swayed and feathers lifted up before laying flat again, "yeah, or this guy gets away with a murder and tries again to find someone else to kill Roland, and they may not listen and just do it."

Shepard let out a sigh and grabbed her staff.

"Different staff this time Shalaree. Vampires are susceptible to fire and flame. Use the bolt and fireball staves. Just warn me if you're going to use the exploding one."

She swapped out the staff then they eased their way into the dark opening of the cave.

Talen cast his detect spell then muttered to himself, if the cave was full of undead it wouldn't show them anyway.

He grabbed a torch from his pack and lit it with a short burst of his flame spell and they saw a long passageway stretching out in front of them. As they started walking a sweet, yet foul odor started to assail their noses.

"Blood and lots of it." She whispered, the smell of spilled blood was something she wouldn't ever forget.

Talen dropped the torch and called forth his flame bolt spells in both hands as they heard movement in front of them and saw someone step out and run toward them, the light of Talen's flame spell reflected off the sword in their hand.

When Talen hit it with the firebolts the body collapsed and turned into dust. "Oh this is the right place. Vampires." He knelt and carefully collected the ash and dust into a jar. "Don't let them close to you, Shalaree. If they strike you, they can infect you with the disease. If that happens we have three days to cure it or you will die and will turn into one of them. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah. Uh... you did study that Cure Disease spell, right? You learned it... I hope."

"I did, but with using magic against these, it would tax my mana to have to cast it on us both several times. So please, try not to get hit." They moved further into the cave, running across more of the vampires. Archers, magic users and ones just charging at them with their sharp incisors gleaming and weapons swinging. Shalaree pointed to several ropes hanging from the ceiling of the cave, all of them had skulls or dead bodies hanging from them, as if this place was one giant meat locker.

They ran across several coffins, which Talen opened cautiously, thankfully they were empty, except for some loot that she pocketed before they moved on. They ran into more vampires along with several wolves that seemed to be their companions, quickly killing them. Talen field dress them then used one of the empty hanging ropes to hang the wolf carcasses up. "We'll get them on the way back out, I really don't want to just stand here and butcher them while we may still have more enemies wandering around."

They came to a large room and after destroying the vampires there, they looted the place. Shalaree saw a glint and reached down, expecting to pick up a stray coin or something and came away with a key. He looked at her and she shrugged and dropped the key into her pack. Talen cut through the ropes holding the gate closed on what looked like a holding cage with a dead body in it. She held the torch over it and Talen reached down to turn it over, an elf's sightless eyes stared up at them and he reached out to close the lids. A small glint off a ring caught his attention and he carefully slid the ring off and added it to their treasures.

They kept moving and finally reached what must have been the last room of the cave. Standing there with several other vampires was Seridur.

"You are both just too damn nosy for your own good. Yes, I killed Roland's lover, I was sloppy that time. Once I'm done with you, I'll hunt down Roland and finish what I should have done that night." He sneered at them then in a flash attacked.

Flames were sent forth by both the staff and his hands to meet the oncoming vampires. When they finally collapsed, Talen and Shalaree took in deep breaths and leaned against the wall to recover. He drank down one of the potions then cupped her face. A blue green light swirled around her and he cleansed her of the disease that she had contracted. Once the light stopped he did the same to himself, just in case.

They looted what was left of the bodies and the area before heading back out to gather up the harvestable plants and to finish preparing the wolves for rendering. When they were both finished they hefted the bulging packs and carried a chest stuffed full of looted goods between them and headed back to town. They dropped everything off and cleaned up then went in search of Roland.

Roland was sitting in his cabin, the planks haphazardly nailed back over the window when they knocked.

"I hope you're here to bring me good news." 

"We are, Seridur is dead, he confessed what he had done before he attacked us."

"He's dead? Thank goodness! I feared I'd never be able to leave here, or worse, that he would come for me. I can finally return home. The ironic thing is that I think the Order of the Virtuous Blood should continue its work. Perhaps I'll speak to the others. Yes, I think that the Order will live on. Give me time to make arrangements, and meet me in Seridur's basement. Is there anything I can do for you two? You cleared my name, avenged my lover and killed many vampire menaces and their minions."

Shepard just shrugged and headed for the door. Talen leaned in and whispered something to Roland who nodded. Talen's hand reached out and quickly slipped the flawless diamond he had noticed on the side table into his palm, then into his pack next to the other flawless gems he had kept. He would give her a necklace for their bonding, not just the unique proposal ring.

Roland sent them a note the next morning and they met with him down in the same cellar, the other two men were there as well and both of them apologized for not recognizing the true vampire in their midst and thanked them for getting rid of Seridur. Roland handed Talen a large pouch stuffed full of Septims.

"Here is the reward money that was promised to you from the Order, also accept this ring from us as well. It is a unique ring, it will not only help with spell reflection but will also help you to resist disease, such as the one that causes vampirism. I hope it keeps you safe." He handed the ring to Talen, who reached for Shalaree's hand and slid it on her index finger.

They stopped at the stables and the stable master waved them over to a large stall in the back of the stable. Inside were two very large draft horses, both of them dapple grey with black manes and fetlocks.

"They finally arrived. The guards were already paid," he handed Talen the signed transfer papers, "both geldings, sturdy and both have good teeth, feet and temperament. They need to rest though and eat good. They should be ready well before the wagon is done. We'll start to get them used to hitching to it at the end of the week. By the time the wagon is done at the end of the month it will be like they have always pulled it."

Talen tucked the papers in with his bank notes and reached over the stall door to pat and rub the one's nose. "Just one more month, Shalaree, then we head to a whole new land. Skyrim, the land of Nords, snow and dragons. Hope you're ready."

"I am, Talen. We are." Her hand reached out next to his and scratched the nose of the other horse gently.


	26. Chapter 26

* * *

 

 

By the end of the week the horses were rested and had started being hitched to the wagon. At first just to get used to the heavier harnesses that the much larger caravan wagon needed, then they would take the wagon a short distance and back again. Most of the wagon was finished by the end of the next week, they had to add a few things to the outside yet and make sure that the fastenings for several of the items she wanted on the inside would hold. The horses would pull the wagon for longer distance getting used to the added weight. Talen had purchased several large barrels that had been added to the outside of the wagon, balanced and sealed against leakage for their drinking water. Shepard, in the meantime, had grabbed the stack of the banknotes and went shopping after making an inventory list of what they had found in their journey so far and what they needed.

Talen had come to the stables with another load of furs and several cured hides. He saw her standing precariously on a stack of crates trying to attach several lanterns to the wooden supports at the back of the wagon. He let out a sigh and moved over near her, placed the furs he was carrying on top of a barrel then waited. Sure enough within a minute, they wobbled and he heard a, "whoa, damn that was close," come from her.

He waited just long enough for her to hang the last lantern before he cleared his throat. "Why in the name of Oblivion aren't you using the damn ladder for that?"

She jerked. The balance of the crates changed and the middle one slid out and sent her and the top crate tumbling. Talen was there to catch her as she fell.

"Talen, you asshole. Put me down, damn it." Shepard huffed at him then awkwardly punched his shoulder.

"Not until you tell me why you thought being up on a shaky stack of crates was better than using the stable's ladder."

"Because the damn ladder was already being used. The stable boy needed it to get up on the roof of the feed shed to fix a damn hole. Now put me down."

He put her down and watched as she headed for a stack of crates in the corner of the stall. "Part of the stuff I bought was delivered this morning, still missing some of the larger items though. The carpenter said the portable ladder I ordered for the wagon was going to be pushed back another week because he had received a 'rush order' from the castle... again."

Talen let out a grunt and picked up the furs. He followed her inside the wagon and added them to the chests they had put aside to temporarily store the tools and repair items. She had just strapped one of the lidded baskets she had ordered to a support beam when they heard someone calling them from outside. Talen went out to see what they wanted while Shepard loaded the basket down with paper bags filled with dried herbs.

"Shalaree, the weaver's apprentice is here with the rug you ordered." Talen called out to her a few moments later.

"Tell her I'll be right out. I just need to finish this first." She put the rest of the labeled bags into the basket then closed the lid. On the side of the basket was a thin chain with an iron peg attached to it. She wiggled the lid and pulled on the leather strap, slipped the opening in it over the small hoop on the added leather strip of the basket then pushed the peg through, effectively locking the lid into place.

She had gone to several basket weavers looking for baskets that could be closed and locked. None had them. Finally she approached a young woman who was weaving baskets at a tiny out of the way stall, told her what she wanted and was willing to pay a good price. The woman was skeptical about it at first. Shepard offered a more than fair price if the young woman could deliver. After she had made the first one and Shepard showed her how it could be closed to keep the items inside from spilling out if it tipped over, she made more. When Shepard stopped by her stall later, she was doing a very brisk business but the weaver made sure to fill the huge order of Shepard's baskets first.

She jumped from the back of the wagon and approached the nervous woman. Shepard raised an eyebrow. "I'm Wandered-the-Stars. You have the rug I bought?"

The woman twisted her fingers together. "Yes. It's here in the cart." Why in the world was this woman about ready to jump out of her skin just because she was bringing a rug?

The rug was tightly rolled up and secured by straps. Shepard turned a loose corner back and noticed the color was slightly different than what it had looked like in the shop. She frowned and glanced at Talen. He caught her eye and stood straighter. "What?"

"Help me unroll this. Now." She said to him using the Jel language, which caused him look between her and the overly nervous apprentice. Then she pointed to the young woman. "Don't you move a muscle."

The woman swallowed then wrung her hands harder, her eyes flicked from the armed argonian to the woman that was decked out in yellowish colored armor.

They laid the rug in the space that had been cleared for their use and Shepard kicked it open after the straps were undone. This was not the rug she paid for. The one she paid for was in perfect condition, colors well balanced and it certainly didn't have any holes or wine stains on it.

"What the hell is the meaning of this? This is not the rug I saw in the shop and paid 300 Septims for." Shepard shouted at the woman and it caused the younger one to shake.

"I was told to just deliver this one. That you wouldn't even look at it. That... that it was good enough for ... for..." Her eyes flicked to Talen who slowly raised his arms and crossed them over his bare chest.

Shepard had to admit, the move was intimidating. The muscles flexed and his biceps bulged. It also brought the fact home that he not only had his glowing bow strapped to his back, but also a glowing sword. He flexed his tail, causing it to sway and the light that streamed in from the window openings reflected on the metal plates and sharp spikes of the tail armor.

"Good enough for an argonian lover? Is that what you were about to say?" His voice was pitched lower than normal and the tones didn't hold their usual smooth quality. Instead they were sharp and biting, causing the woman to shake even harder.

"Please. I am just doing what I was told."

"Wandered-the-Stars? Walks-in-Silence? What is going on here you two?" The stable master had heard the shout and had come into the stable. He was followed by his brother who had brought the last of the bindings and crate of replacement parts for the wagon.

"This girl brought a rug that her mistress felt was good enough for us. I paid for a new, clean and undamaged rug. And this was what was brought." Shepard pointed down to the obviously old and severely damaged rug. The stable master let out a low whistle.

"Oh this is not going to turn out well for the weaver." The wagon builder hissed when he saw the mess.

Shepard approached the young woman and growled. "I don't like being cheated. I like getting what I paid for. You, Walks and I are going to roll this rug back up. Put it back on your shitty little cart then go back to the weaver. With a stop on the way at the constables. You will tell them the truth. Then when we get to the weaver you will find my fucking rug and you will haul your ass right back here with it and wait until my mate and I have it loaded onto the wagon. Is. That. Clear?"

The woman fainted.

Shepard snarled and she heard Talen snicker. When she turned to him he pointed to his eyes. The stable master swallowed and they heard an "oh, shit."

"They're glowing again, aren't they?" She asked Talen in the Jel language and he only nodded. She sighed. "Someone toss water on the woman and wake her ass up. I've got a ton of shit to do today and going to get my crap from the idiot weaver was not on my list."

A rather soggy apprentice entered the weaver's shop followed by two heavily armored people and two Imperial City constabulary guards. The weaver swallowed and knew as soon as the argonian and the woman that had made the purchase dropped the rug on the floor in front of her, that she had made an error. Her best chance was to lie and try to either pass it off as a mistake or to pass blame to her apprentice. The girl was weak kneed anyway and wouldn't say anything in her defense.

Twenty minutes later the shop has a closed sign on it and the constables were leading the weaver away. When the apprentice heard the weaver start to blame her she grew a backbone and let everything spill, including the location of the second set of books that the weaver kept in order to cheat on the taxes.

Talen pulled the cart holding a rug behind him. It wasn't the rug she paid for, that one had been resold earlier and couldn't be retrieved. When she started yelling, the apprentice had told her that the good rugs were stored in a different room and she should just take one of them. The weaver started to sputter and say that was stealing and for the guards to do something. Both of the constables had shrugged and told her hell no, those two were well known for their skills and had brought down more mercs and bandits in the past two months than most of the bounty hunters did in a year. She was off her bleeding rocker if she thought they were going to mess with them.

Word had rapidly gotten around the market district and the orders that she had placed started to quickly arrive. Exactly what she ordered, well packed for travel. Even the ladder from the carpenter arrived the next morning with an apology.

Finally they had everything loaded and Shepard showed Talen what she meant by having a home on wheels.

On the one side of the wagon were long metal poles along with large sections of sailcloth that would act as a rain barrier when the tent was set up. The fabric would stretch along the top, down the sides and another piece across the floor, all tied quickly together to the poles with bindings that were sewn on. The rug would be laid out either on top of the fabric floor to give them insulation against the ground in good weather, or laid out on top of several thick layers of poor quality furs when it was snowing. There were two cots that she had drawn up the plans for. They folded and were held together with pins. They were also attached to that side of the wagon inside a bag made of waterproof sailcloth. The ladder had been secured over top of all of it to help hold everything in place.

The blacksmith had earned quite a bit of Septims after the cot was made and he showed it off to other customers. Even the military had become interested. They were lighter in weight than what they were currently using and more portable, yet sturdy. The thick sailcloth had been utilized again with grommets and thick leather laces holding it on the frame. What really sold it was when a snort came from a large man in full plate gear saying there was no way that would hold his weight, he wasn't some scrawny scout.

Shepard had pointed to the cot then placed a bet that it would. The man quickly tossed the blacksmith a purse of gold then stomped over to the cot. He laid on it and it didn't even creak, not even with him being in sixty pounds of plate. "Well, hell."

On the other side of the wagon were wooden lock boxes that had been sealed against the weather. They contained the cooking gear, axes and shovels and a small load of tinder and firewood for emergencies. The fishing supplies, a collapsed tanning rack, and drying racks for their clothing or meat were secured above the boxes. There was also a large clothes washing tub with a scrubbing rack attached to the end of the largest wooden box.

Talen had shook his head at all the stuff she had been able to put on the outside of the wagon and still kept it balanced. He had worried about the weight at first, but the wagon maker had assured him that the improvements she had asked for, with the undercarriage and wheels, would hold a hell of a lot more weight before even becoming stressed. The enchantments that the former owner had done had certainly helped with that.

Then she opened the door she had them build on the back of the wagon, reached in and gave a tug on a thick rope. A short ramp slid out and after they dropped the hooks at the top into the metal lined, reinforced holes she had made in the flooring, they went inside.

Baskets filled with goods lined the interior, attached to the support beams by thick straps. Boxes were wedged in between them and ran up the sides as well, 12 large chests on each side. Then Talen noticed the metal brackets.

"The boxes are attached to the brackets and the brackets are screwed to the metal bracings on the support. They won't budge, shift, tip or slide."

His feathers fluffed up a bit then he grinned.

She opened the hidden panels and they were stuffed with small lock boxes. "Gems and valuables. You have to slide the boxes straight out, you can't lift them. Without the special key to unlock that thin metal strip, they aren't going anywhere." She closed the panel and shifted a crate back into position before fixing the straps on it.

At the front of the cart she wiggled two pins out of metal loops and lowered a table. It was held into position by more thin chains. When she slid the panel back he saw her alchemy equipment nestled in the opening with packing straw held into place by tightly woven netting. The other panel held the books and papers she had already, along with the few books and pieces of equipment for enchanting that she had obtained. "We can just set up this table when I need to make potions then clean it and put it all back when I'm done. The table is not to be used as a chopping block. There is one in the cooking box that is to be used for our food, don't use this one. The blood and juices from them could ruin potions if it isn't thoroughly scrubbed out of the tiny cracks in the wood."

She put everything back and then pointed to the chests on either side of the wagon. "Those are for loot. The baskets on that side hold our clothing, blankets, bathing stuff and other personal articles. Everything we need is in here. If we run into a blizzard we can sleep inside here while using the outside tent to shelter the horses. The stable master gave me several thick woolen blankets for them along with the gear they needed. Brushes, hoof care tools, feed bags and medical stuff. He said the healing potions and salves I can make for us will also work with them. Their gear is in that large box that is under the driver's seat. The two boxes on either side that we can use to help get up on the wagon are filled with sacks of oats. The barrels that are against the wall, where the table is, has our dinner wear and stuff. The other one contains cleaning supplies for everything."

He looked around some more. "Where are the extra arrows and repair hammers? The cleaning stuff for the armors?" She pointed to two baskets and he wiggled the pins out and checked.

"We can store everything from our packs in here until we go to sell. The door has a special trapped lock on it. Without both the key and the knowledge on how to twist it properly, the trap will activate and a small poisoned needle will inject a paralytic into the trespasser or wanna be thief. The lock is non-pickable. I can make the paralytic myself and the trap is refillable. It also cost us a small fortune." She cleared her throat at the look he gave her. She shrugged her shoulders. "What? All our worldly shit is going to be inside this wagon, like hell I'm putting a flimsy lock on the damn door."

"How many Septims do we have left?" He asked as he ran a clawed hand over one of the boxes.

"After paying for everything and squaring away with the wagon builder and stable master? Um... 5,000 Septims."

He dropped his head and banged it against another chest.

The day before they were to leave the stable master and wagon builder moved the wagon and parked it near the side of the stable. One of the usual door guards had been assigned to keep an eye on it. The wagon had drawn a lot of attention and many people had come to the stable just to look at it and ask questions. Shepard and Talen answered what they could and the wagon builder answered the rest. By the end of the day he had orders for several more, all made similar to hers. Well, except for hidden things that none of them had mentioned or the door's lock.

That night they went out and ate at a nice restaurant then returned to the room. After extracting a promise that Talen would try and behave and keep his hands to himself they sat in the bath tub with the steam from the water rising around them and both let out a sigh. They had no idea when they would be able to enjoy such a luxury again.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the chapter.
> 
> A quick reminder, I don't have a proofreader for this story. I'm editing it myself, and it will contain mistakes. I'm trying the best I can to improve my grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. Please be lenient and forgive any errors I make.

* * *

 

 

It was just after dawn when Talen unfurled the two maps he carried with him. His taloned finger traced the path that they were going to take from the Imperial City in Cyrodiil through the narrow winding pass in the northern mountain range to reach a town in Skyrim called Helgen. From there they would start gathering information on local dungeons and villages and begin to fill in the map. Hopefully, this time, his wish will finally come true, and they can find a place of their own, whether it's just a patch of land to build on or a small home in a bustling town. Until then they had their wagon and each other.

After a quick goodbye to Luther, they adjusted their packs and weapons then headed for the stable. When they arrived, they checked over the wagon and horses carefully, even though the wagon had been under guard the entire night, and found everything was in place and the horses were high stepping and frisky as if they knew it was time to start their adventure. Once they had the horses backed into the traces, and everything hooked up and double checked they waved goodbye to the stable master and his brother.

Shalaree put one foot on the spoke of the wheel and hauled herself up by using the handhold on the side of the box attached to the wagon, and she looked down with a shake of her head and roll of her eyes as she felt boosted up to the bench. Talen had his hands planted firmly on her rear and a huge grin on his face. She let out a sigh as she settled in her spot on the wagon bench, she knew it would be one of those days.

After several hours of traveling, they reached a crossroad and turned North. Talen glanced over at her, "We'll stop and make camp near the entrance to the pass. There's a good chance there will be several others camped there as well. We'll set a guard and in the morning pack several furs into the driver's box. The weather's going to turn frigid, and Skyrim is known for snow storms and varied weather, so we need to prepare in advance. Helgen is a relatively strategic point for the Imperial army so there should be plenty of protection there so we can get some rest before starting our adventures there."

"Sounds good. Tell me more of what you saw when you were there before," Shalaree said as the wagon rumbled over the packed dirt road.

For the next few hours, Talen told her of the people that he'd met and of the few towns he visited. Then as he took care of the horses and she put together sandwiches for them, he told her of the ruins that he saw at a distance. Great structures of metal and stone with towers and he told her about the rumors of treasures left inside of them and also about the metal automatons that still guarded them even after being abandoned for thousands of years.

As they got ready to leave, he told her again about the dangers from the animals, particularly the Sabrecats that only lived in the coldness of Skyrim and about the dragons that were rumored to fly the skies.

"So you weren't just joking with me about those, it's one of those ghost and vampire things again. I'm still processing that they exist in this world, you know," Shalaree said before she turned to scramble up on the wagon.

"I wouldn't joke about anything that concerns your safety, Shalaree."

She looked back over her shoulder and him and smiled, then rolled her eyes as his hand grabbed her ass again and squeezed before he boosted her into the seat.

As they made their way along the road, they encountered several bandit groups, one of which didn't even try stealth to ambush them. They had heard the shout of, "Get me that wagon!" over the clopping of the horse's hoof beats and Shalaree braced one foot on the thick wood barrier at their knees and nocked an arrow. As soon as the bandits started to appear, she let an arrow fly at them then nocked another. Talen halted the horses and pulled on the brake handle before drawing his sword and jumping off the wagon to meet several more bandits coming their way. Two thieves had taken cover behind a group of boulders and released arrows toward Talen and Shalaree, she aimed her staff toward them and sent a fireball back as her response, the horses snorted and jostled around in their harness at the resulting explosion.

"We're going to have several full trunks by the time we even make it to Helgen at this rate, Talen," Shalaree said as she helped to gather the gear and other items from the bandits.

He nodded, "That will be a good thing, Shalaree. We're going to need Septims up there. They built the towns and villages pretty far away from each other, and we'll need to stock necessities as often as we can. Thunder was nicked by one of those damn arrows, bring back a small pot of the salve and a bandage when you drop that stuff off inside the wagon."

Shepard carefully cleaned the wound on the horse and applied the balm to his leg and wrapped it. "Will he be okay to travel or should we set up camp here?"

"Just give it an hour or so. We can keep going then and still make it to the pass at nightfall. We won't set up camp tonight, though, just a cooking fire and sleep inside the wagon."

 

* * *

 

They both breathed out a tired sigh as they drew near the pass into Skyrim late that night. They were attacked several more times, and it had taken much longer than they originally planned to get there. They saw several khajiit caravans set up and they hailed one as they drew near the group. As Talen negotiated the sale of a good portion of the equipment they had gathered up, Shalaree asked if they could share their fire for the night. After Shalaree had sated the khajiit's curiosity about the wagon, she went about making a quick dinner for Talen and herself.

They came awake still a bit groggy from lack of sleep the next morning when they heard the khajiit packing up to leave. "At least we don't have to worry about being attacked in the mountain pass, the Imperials guard and patrol along it to keep the rebellious Nords from coming down into Cyrodiil."

After they had shown their border pass to the Imperials at the checkpoint, they got in line with the other wagons and trundled their way through the pass. Shalaree moved a bit closer to Talen when a bitterly cold wind swept down the mountain pass. When her teeth started to clack together from her shivers he stood up and braced himself while she pulled out the furs and blankets from under the seat and locked it again. She draped a heavy fur cloak about Talen's shoulders then bundled herself up and laid a heavy bear fur over their laps. She settled next to him again, and he brushed his jaw against hers lightly.

It was a slow torture to make it through the pass. Between the change in the weather and the way the people moved slowly along in front of them Shalaree was about to scream bloody murder. The army wouldn't let them get out of line and move ahead, and she gritted her teeth as the Imperials moved swiftly past them on their horses.

"Calm down, Shalaree. When we get through the pass, it will clear up a bit as people take the crossroads toward their destinations."

"Ugh, alright, I'll try." She huffed then leaned forward to jiggle the handle on a small compartment near their feet. When the door popped open, she reached in and brought out a small sack and canteen. She held out a piece of boar jerky to Talen then tore off a large bite for herself.

A few soldiers had asked them about their wagon as they moved along as did several travelers that were on horseback. At one point they heard a thump come from behind them and Shalaree climbed up on top of the wagon and peered over the back. The khajiit caravan that was behind them pointed over their shoulders and yelled that someone tried to open their door only to fall off, the khajiit laughed and yelled he had accidentally run over the man. She snorted and waved to them. When she settled back on the wagon seat, she smirked at Talen, "See I knew that lock would be worth it."

The sun was only an hour or so from setting when they heard the call from the travelers in front of them that the opening of the pass into Skyrim was in view. A cheer from several wagons went up, and Shalaree realized that most of them were as impatient as she was to get out of the pass and go their separate ways. She stretched and pulled her cloak closer as they started to pick up a bit of speed.

When they reached the first of the crossroads, they moved forward, and a call came out as the khajiit's that were behind them turned toward the west and headed off at a much faster clip. "We should reach the outskirts of Helgen when it's still twilight. We should have enough light to see by to get the wagon set up for the night."

She nodded as she continued to gaze around the area to take in the first sights of Skyrim. There was a wild, untamed feel about it and she heard the howl of wolves in the distance.

"The southern part of Skyrim doesn't see as much snow; it's cold, but it mainly rains here and snows once in a while. There is another part of Skyrim that always reminds me of autumn; the trees blaze in colors of orange, yellow, and red. Another part is marsh-like with quite a lot of rain and some snow.  A thick layer of snow and blizzards are very common in the North."

She grinned over at him, "I want to see it all, Talen, then by that time maybe we can find a home and put down roots."

"I'd like that very much, and it warms my heart to know that you want me by your side."

"Well, yeah. I know it's been rough on you and I've been a right bitch about things. I'm still not agreeing to have sex with you so wipe that lecherous grin off your face."

He chuckled. "Soon, my dear, very soon. You won't resist me forever, and I can't wait to hear you scream out an orgasm instead of biting your lip to muffle it like you did in the bathing room."

She turned red and smacked his arm.

 

* * *

 

Talen pulled the wagon to a stop when he spotted the burned out ruins of the walled town of Helgen. "What in Oblivion happened?"

"Is that Helgen?" Shepard asked as she leaned forward on the bench.

"Yeah. When I came through here, last year this was a town full of people and activity, not a ruin." He clucked to the horses and gave a slight slap with the reins to get the wagon moving again. "We're going around the walls, Shalaree. I don't like the look of those totems in front of the gates." She nodded and pulled her staff from the holder behind the wagon seat.

Talen guided the horses along a very narrow pass between the walls and a large shelf of rock. Close to an hour later they made it back to the main road, and the clip-clop sound of the horse's hooves was heard instead of the thump of them on the dirt. "We'll keep moving South along this road. Light those lanterns but keep them mostly shuttered until we get far enough away from what's left of that village."

A short time later he pulled off the main road and stopped behind a huge outcropping of rocks. "I know I told you that we would set up the camp, but I'm not comfortable doing that tonight, while I take care of the horses make something cold for dinner and start a small fire for hot drinks. I'll take the first watch."

 

* * *

 

Just after sunrise Talen brought out his map and noted the change in Helgen on it then quickly began to look for the town closest to them. He tapped a small village named Riverwood then rolled his map back up and stuffed it back in his pack. An hour later they started back along the road until they reached another crossroad and he stopped.

"Wait with the wagon. There's an abundance of herbs, flowers, and fungi along the road and I might as well gather them."

Shalaree picked up her bow and pulled herself up to the top of the wagon and laid down as she scanned the area around them. Several times she quietly called out that something moved in the woods off to their right, but she couldn't make out what it was exactly. He gave a small wave then went back to gathering the blue and purple mountain flowers that grew along the road. A few times he had stopped and waited a few seconds for a butterfly to land on a plant only to swiftly reach out and pluck it from the flower and added the wings to a small container in his pouch.

Shalaree eased herself down off the roof of the wagon as soon as he climbed back up to the seat.

The road meandered around several large outcroppings of boulders, and when they rounded yet another bend in the road, Shalaree let out a gasp and pointed. Talen hauled back on the reins, and they both stood to stare at the imposing structure that she had spotted in the distance. Huge arches and what looked like a towering building was shrouded in a deep fog. "Talen? Do you know what the hell that building is?"

"No. I didn't come this way before. One of the traders in Helgen gave me the location of Riverwood. When we get there, I'll start asking around about it." He looked down at her, "I take it that's going to be our first adventure?"

"Yeah... as long as it's not some weirdos home."

It was only a short time later when they rounded another bend, and he stopped as she pointed out a group of strange objects. She jumped down and walked over to the rocks. "These things are engraved with symbols Talen and pictures of some kind."

He came over and studied the huge holes near the top of them and the pictures she mentioned. "They look like people. Look at this one; it looks like he's holding a sword and shield."

"Yeah, this one over here looks like he's got a staff and wearing a robe."

"I wonder what these are?" He muttered then bent to harvest the flowers and thistle that grew around the area. He looked up when he heard a whistle and saw a human male waving at him from next to the river from well below them in a ravine.

"You looking for meat or fish?" The man yelled at them.

Talen cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted back they didn't need any right then but would keep his location in mind. He also asked if the hunter knew what those rocks were.

"Guardian Stones chose one that best represents you and run your hand along the constellations. If the God's will grant you favor if they approve of your choice!"

Talen waved and backed away from the edge of the overhang.

"More strangeness? Ugh... what did that guy say to do?" Shalaree asked as she rubbed her forehead.

"Pick one that represents you and run your hand over them. What the hell did he mean by represents you?"

They heard the snorting of their horses and turned. A man stood behind them dressed in the garb of an Imperial soldier. He had dark hair that was ruffled, and the armor looked worse for wear. "That isn't right. My name is Hadvar. Those stones transfer the blessings of the Gods for whichever fighting skills you favor. If you chose the warrior stone, your sword and shield skills would improve slightly as will your heavy armor. But neither one of you wears the heavy gear, and you both seem to favor light armor and bows. I hate to say it, but the Thief stone may suit you both better as it gives a boost in light armor protection and skill with daggers and bows... among other things." His eyes wondered over both of them. "I'm on the way back to our headquarters again, and the Imperium could always use more soldiers to help in the war against the Stormcloaks."

Shalaree shook her head, "I've had enough of wars. I fought before, and it took everything from me, I'm not interested in doing it again. I'll fight to protect what I have but won't take up arms to fight for leaders that are petty, greedy and shortsighted. No matter which side asks. We're neutral and will remain that way."

The man looked at her then at the argonian by her side. "I suppose with an argonian as your mate I could see where neutrality would be best. The beast folk aren't particularly cared for by either side and barely tolerated in Skyrim. Good luck to you both and if you change your minds the Imperial's headquarters are in Solitude." The man nodded at them then headed up the path into the mountains.

Talen ran his hand over her head as they turned back toward the stones. He took a step toward the stone that held the caped figure and traced the pattern of the constellation. The hole at the top of the stone started to fill with a swirling light before it headed toward him and bathed Talen in its glow. After he had said he felt no different, she reached out and did the same.

A few hours later they saw the village of Riverwood come into their view. People walked around, and they heard the thunk of someone chopping wood. They spotted several guards walking along the roads and on the parapet of the newly built walls. "There's no room to set up camp on this side of the town; instead we'll go through to the other side and hope there's a good spot there."

The passed by a blacksmith and Talen noticed a sawmill near the gate, further on Shepard saw a woman sweeping the wooden walkway outside of a building with a sign that read "Riverwood Traders" swinging in the slight breeze. Talen pointed out the Inn and the slowed down slightly to look at it, "There's a notice board next to the door, maybe they'll have a job or two for us." He clucked his tongue at the horses, and they began trotting again. When they reached the other side of the town, he spotted a path between the river and rock wall. Once they navigated through it, they spent an hour setting up the camp.

Talen used the ladder to remove the sailcloth for their tent while Shalaree unloaded the cooking supplies. They had just finished rolling out the rug and setting up the cots when they heard a dog bark. They saw a small boy and girl staring at them from next to the small path. Shepard waved to them, and the kids came a bit nearer with the dog standing in between them.

"Where did you get that wagon? Never seen nothing like it before," the boy said, and the girl elbowed him.

"That's not the right way to ask. It's, 'We've never seen a wagon like yours before. Where did you get it?'"

"Oh shut up, Dorthe, you know I hate it when you do that," the boy hissed at the girl.

"Don't tell me to shut up, Frodnar. I'm telling your daddy you were mean."

Talen grinned at the children then went to feed the horses.

"We got it in Cyrodiil before we came here. The wagon builder and I changed a regular caravan wagon into this one." Shalaree told them as she watched them lean around her to look at the wagon. You can move closer to look at it better, just don't try to open the back door, okay." The kids nodded then went to look at the wagon.

As Talen brushed out the large horses, he kept an eye on the kids to make sure they didn't get into trouble or hurt by anything on the wagon. Eventually, the boy came over and asked about the horses. Talen handed him half of an apple to feed to Thunder while he brushed out the other horse. When the girl saw the boy holding the offering out to the horse, she hurried over and asked if she could feed the other one. Talen handed her the other half of apple, and she fed it to Vapor.

"What can you two tell me about that structure across the river? The big one up on the mountain."

"That place is scary. It's called Bleak Falls Barrow, and my dad said only a fool would go up there. My older cousin, Hadvar, said he has always hated that place. When he was a kid he was scared that Draugr would come creeping through the window at night," Dorthe said.

"Camilla thinks the place is full of traps and trolls. I think it's full of Draugr and treasure and when I'm older I'm going up there and see for myself," Frodnar said as he rubbed the horse's nose.

"Who's Camilla?" Shalaree asked as she joined them.

"Her brother owns the Riverwood Traders in town, and they had some trouble before. Someone broke into their place and stole something. They thought Frodnar played one of his pranks again, but it wasn't him. Some guy came through a while ago and said he would go to the barrow to help but hasn't been back yet, and Lucan still hasn't gotten his stolen thing back," Dorthe told them as she patted the huge gray horse.

"Come on Dorthe; we need to get back to town it's almost dinner time. Thanks for letting us see your wagon and pet your horses," Frodnar called out before they ran back toward the road into town.

"Hmm, a barrow and stolen items. It sounds like we can make some Septims here. Let's go into town and check the board. Talen saddled Thunder and helped her up on it's back then secured Vapor near the tent before he mounted behind her and turned toward town.

 

* * *

 

"Here's one paying for wolf hides and another wants something called Tundra Cotton," Shalaree said as she rooted around the notice board.

"Pull em off. I'm taking this bounty one and here's one that's not even a mission. Listen to this, 'Have you ever visited Embershard mines near Riverwood? We haven't had the chance to go there, but would love to hear all about it if you do.' Then it gives the location of the mine and the name of the person to talk with after it's visited."

She shook her head, " I guess we should grab that one too; it's a strange request but if someone wants to pay for stories of places then why not. Here's another one, this one wants twenty-five river betty delivered to some guy in the town of Markarth."

Talen took the map out of his bag and held it closer to the lantern. "Markarth? Shit, that's on the far side of Skyrim, just leave it for now, we'll fish as we go, and if we ever find enough, we'll come back and grab the notice... or find the same one in another town."

After a few more minutes they entered the Inn, and Talen bought them both meads and asked for rumors before he asked the Innkeeper if there were any local bounties.

"Aye, some of the Jarl's men brought this bounty letter by the other day. No one in town is a hunter, though, but if you want it good luck."

Talen reached for the paper as a blonde woman came out from a different room. "Orgnar? The ale's started to go bad."

Orgnar, the Innkeeper, shrugged and grunted as he wiped a rag over the bar.

"Did you hear me?" the woman asked as she came closer.

"The ale's going bad, I heard."

Talen let out a soft snort when he heard her reply. "Guess you don't have potatoes in your ears after all."

 

* * *

 

The next morning the two of them saddled the horses and double checked the wagon before they headed to check out the mine. They passed by the kids from the day before and waved as they called out their greetings. When the two of them reached the path leading up to the mine, they dismounted and tied the horses to a low hanging tree branch. Talen held up a hand then pulled his bow. He crouched and pointed to movement further up then Shalaree saw the dark fur of a wolf through the leaves of another tree.

They both fired their arrows and took down the three wolves then rendered them into useful components. Once they made sure the area was completely clear so the horses would be as safe as possible, they moved toward the mine to investigate it.

"That's close enough," a growling voice came from near the entrance, and the two of them stopped. A pair of bright green eyes stared out from the shadowed area at the door, and an armored female khajiit stepped into the light. The khajiit wore the garb of a bandit and carried a sword and shield. "This mine belongs to us."

Talen said, "Bandits."

The khajiit laughed then attacked them.

"Sometimes I can't believe how stupid bandits can be," Shalaree said as she stripped the studded leather armor from the khajiit and picked up the sword. She tossed it to the side when Talen told her it was steel.

They cracked open the door into the mine and slipped through. Talen knelt and picked up the mushrooms near the door then they started down the ramp into the mine. They noticed carts pushed up against the sides that had rocks and shovels piled up in them. A bit further down the incline, they noticed a darker area and Talen held out his hand and pointed to the ceiling where huge rocks were piled up on wood planks. He carefully moved forward and noticed a thick rope stretched across the path. He let out a snort and scooted around the side between two pillars and shook his head. "Come on; this shouldn't be too hard. These aren't the smartest bandits we've ever come up against."

They moved several more feet down the shaft and heard two people arguing off to the side. Shalaree nodded toward the wooden plank and rope bridge that was in front of them. Talen readied an arrow and Shalaree slipped her telekinesis staff from a holder on her back, and they crouched down a bit and moved closer to the bridge.

"I'll take the one on the left," she whispered, and Talen shifted his aim slightly. Shalaree used the staff to lift up a pickaxe that was behind the man and hurled it toward his back at the same time Talen shot the other one with an arrow."

They stripped the bodies, and he ran his hand over a striated rock along the wall. "This must be an iron mine. We'll come back and mine these deposits once we clear this place out. The Smith might pay us for them, or we can use them for refining some of these crap weapons and armor to make them better, they'll sell for more."

Shalaree lifted the lid on a pot that was near the fire and wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, this is nasty."

He gathered up more mushrooms then they walked back to the wooden plank bridge and noticed what looked like a drawbridge portion was raised. They followed the bridge around to an opening and started to search around. "Light your lamp, Shalaree."

She lit her lamp and hung it on her belt before they looked around some more. They saw a skeleton under some rocks and Talen searched the area and found a pouch with Septims in it and also a small journal that belonged to the person. He tucked it into his bag, and they moved up a short dug out area and saw that it opened back out to the side of the wooden bridge. Shalaree raided the barrels while Talen looked around.

"Nothing here so far," he grunted then hissed when he found a lever. "This will probably lower that section of the bridge. I'll guard the entrance to this area, and you pull that lever. If anyone is on the other side, it will get their attention and we take them out then go see what's further inside here." She nodded and moved over to the lever and counted to twenty then pulled on it. The panel fell with a crash, and two huge males came out of the opening that it had been blocking. One was met with an arrow while the other charged toward the corner after he spotted her. He didn't, however, see Talen until it was too late and felt the bite of the argonian's sword as it entered into his abdomen.

Talen jumped over the side of the bridge and into the water below to drag the dead bandit that Shalaree had hit with an arrow to the shallows and stripped him down while she got the other one. They stuffed all the loot into their bags and started further in, and Talen made a note of where there were other iron deposits as they went along. The next area they came to had them stopping to listen as they pressed themselves close to the wall. They heard the banging of a smith's hammer and Shalaree turned to Talen with a frown.

They took several steps and ducked behind a large pillar and Talen looked around the side. He saw a male below them standing in front of a forge and then noticed movement across another bridge that spanned from one area to another in front of a gigantic waterfall. He whispered what he saw, and Shalaree switched her telekinesis staff for the fire bolt one then nodded that she was ready. They stepped to the side of the pillar, and she hit the man below the with a firebolt and Talen hit the other one with an arrow knocking him off the bridge and landing in the pool of water with a splash. What they didn't count on was there being a third bandit that was on the other side in the shadows and had seen them. They turned when they heard him yell as he ran over a small bridge and came toward them. The large axe he held in his hand swung at Talen at the same time that the argonian let out a burst of flame and met it with the sword he carried. Shalaree moved to the side and swung her staff at the bandit's head and hit him with a solid thwack to the back of his skull.

When no one else came out of the shadows, they split up and started to loot the place. "Talen take a look at this journal." She handed him a book after he stood up from yanking the boots off the dead bandit in front of him. He opened it up and started to read the pages, after the first few he looked over at her.

"Shalaree? Do you know what this is?"

"It looks like a listing of mines." She bent down to finish stripping off the bandit's armor.

"It's a full listing of them, including coordinates and what ores are there. This thing can be worth a great deal."

She shrugged. "I'd rather keep it for our use, Talen. If we can sell the ore like you said it would help to know where exactly we can get the kind we need."

He closed the book and nodded at her. "Alright, we'll keep it in with your alchemy books for safe keeping. Now let's go get the rest of the goods and get back to town."

By the time they were completely done with looting the place, their packs were bulging with food, armor, weapons, ore, and even several ingots and books. They were both grunting with the effort of carrying everything back to the entrance of the mine and Talen stopped long enough to send an arrow back toward the trap to set it off before some unsuspecting person got hurt by it.

Shalaree put everything away while Talen took the stuff they didn't want to keep back into town to sell at the Traders. He came back with more information about the Barrow. Shalaree refilled the horse's water buckets while Talen marked the locations of the mines on his map. After everything was put away for the night, they entered the tent, and Talen let out a huff then dragged his cot over next to hers and spread the furs over both of them. They were both asleep before long.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this new chapter. As always kudos and comments are welcome. Thank you for reading.

* * *

 

 

The next morning Talen packed their bags with what he thought they would need to make it through the barrow and keep from freezing in the blowing snow that had started sometime the night before. Shalaree dragged out the cots and cleared the floor of the tent before she unlaced the sailcloth and dragged it out. Both horses were brushed down, and their thick, wool blankets draped over them before she backed them into the shelter of the bare tent. Everything was securely locked, and they paid one of the townsfolk to watch their belongings, warning them not to attempt entry into the wagon.

They trudged across the bridge then Talen pointed to a small flowing stream. As Shalaree filled her waterskins, Talen removed the pickaxe from the back of his pack and started to mine the iron ore from a small deposit in the rocks. "There's a small tower up there. I don't think it's part of the Barrow. Want to go take a look?" He asked as he dropped the ore into his pack. She nodded, and they started toward it.

They had to scramble over a huge fallen log after he harvested the mushrooms from the inside of it and they stopped here and there as he collected ingredients. Talen stopped and crouched down, pulling her down beside him when an elk came thundering down a small pass. "Something spooked it," Shalaree hissed and they drew their weapons. They heard the howls of several wolves and began to walk toward the direction the elk had run from. Shalaree gasped as two of the largest wolves she ever saw stood over a dead body. The wolves must have smelled them because they turned toward Talen and her and growled before attacking.

They were both breathing heavy as they looked down at the two dead wolves at their feet. "Talen, those things were abnormally large and a hell of a lot stronger than the ones from Cyrodiil. What the hell were they?"

"I'm not sure. Let's get the wolves rendered down and then check that body for any clues."

Shalaree used the toes of her boot to roll the dead guy over. "This guy had to have been insane. It's fucking cold, and he's got a fur skirt on and a pair of boots. Where the hell is his shirt and cloak and other shit?"

Talen started laughing. "He looks like a nord, Shalaree. If you take a better look at the people back in Riverwood, you'll notice that unlike the two of us, they aren't bundled up to keep from turning into icicles. They are hardy people and the cold doesn't affect them as much as it does everyone else."

"I still say the bastard was insane." She crouched down and removed the small satchel that was attached to the belt and tossed it to Talen before checking the rest of the belongings.

"Those wolves were pit wolves and apparently this guy was sent out to retrieve them and bring them back to a place called Cragslane Cavern; apparently they fight each other in a pit for people's entertainment."

Shalaree looked up at him and grimaced. "That's barbaric, sounds like what the krogan do with varren. Does it say where that cavern is?" Talen nodded and tucked the note in his pack. "Good, that's one place we're going to go and clean up."

They started back toward the small tower and stopped so they could mine the ore from a few deposits. While Talen did that, Shalaree looked at the tower. She mumbled to herself wishing that her omni tool still worked so she could get a closer view because she could have sworn she saw someone walking around near the upper doorway.

"See anything?" Talen hissed as he crouched next to her.

She nodded and wiped the snow that had built up on her muffler off. "I'm pretty sure there's someone in there."

That someone turned out to be three someones who were all poorly armored and armed bandits. They gathered everything up and stuffed it all in the chest hidden in a corner. "We'll pick it up on the way back," Talen said as they started up the path toward the Barrow.

Talen waited until the bandit that was the obvious lookout turned away from the opened space he stood in before letting the arrow fly. The bandit didn't even scream as he fell several stories and landed in a snow bank. They waited to see if they had drawn any attention and when no one ran down the giant set of steps they skirted the rocks and searched the fallen bandit.

Shalaree snorted as Talen stripped off the furs the man wore and saw the dirty linens that he had around his nethers. "Why is it that bandits never seem to wash?"

"Don't know, don't care. Why the hell do you think I don't even attempt to search for hidden things in their dirty undergarments? I don't want to waste magic casting a cure disease that often."

She snorted, and they edged their way to the steps. They made it halfway up before the first arrow from above them struck Shalaree's arm. She grunted and aimed a firebolt toward the woman that yelled down at them.

Shepard sat near the door into the barrow as Talen gathered up the loot from the two bandits that had attacked them. He slipped several arrows into his bag as he walked back to her and knelt down. Talen cut the head from the arrow and waited until Shalaree nodded before he pulled the shaft out. He cast a healing spell on her and waited until she released the breath she held to stand back up.

They slipped inside the partially opened door into the barrow and heard two people talking about an elf that took off with the claw and how they should go after him to make sure he didn't take the treasure for himself. Talen and Shalaree moved closer, they both took aim at a bandit and released their arrows at the same time. The female flew backward with the force of the arrow that hit her from Talen's bow, Shalaree knocked a second arrow and shot the bandit who ran toward them, finally dropping him in a heap on the floor.

"There isn't a lot of light here, Shalaree. I'll go light that brazier, then we'll search the area and hopefully find a hiding place for our treasures until we can clear this place. I have a nasty feeling this will take the rest of the day and night in here," Talen said as he looked at the broken piles of stonework and snow covered foliage that grew from cracks in the ground.

They ended up finding a perfectly good chest near where the bandit's camp was. After gathering the items from them and the two bandits that were already dead when they had arrived, they rendered the giant rats, called skeevers, down and wrapped the alchemy ingredients from them in one of the skins before they started down the steps further into the barrow.

"Hey, did you remember to trap that chest?" Shalaree whispered as she opened a small urn that sat on a stone table and looked inside.

"Of course I did, when have you ever known me not to trap the Oblivion out of something that holds our goods?"

She shrugged, and they moved on. Talen's next arrow thunked squarely into the back of another bandit who stood near a lever. She reached for the lever, and Talen gripped her arm before she could pull. "Don't do that, not yet. Let's look around first." She shrugged and bent to loot the bandit as he moved over to several strange looking pillars with several different carvings on them.

"Shalaree? I think this is some type of trap. Take a look at those carvings." Talen pointed to the pillars as he walked up the stairs and looted the potion and several rolls of linen wrap from the shelving. He noticed carvings above him and studied them until he heard the release of several arrows and Shalaree cry out. He looked down to see her lying on the floor then jumped from the overhang and ran to her.

"I told you not to pull that damn lever. What the hell did you do that for?" Talen yelled at her as he tried to stop the flow of blood around the six arrows that was in her.

"Those fucking pillars move. I moved them then pulled the lever. Fuck this hurts, it turned me into a damn pin cushion," Shalaree groaned as he cut the heads from the arrows or broke the shafts before removing them. "I'm beginning to hate arrows."

"You're a fucking idiot and lucky you're not a dead idiot." Talen snarled at her before casting a Convalescence spell on her as she laid on the stone floor.

He stood back up and looked at the difference in the pillars then back at the identical carvings near the ceiling. One seemed to be missing.

She started to move and he yelled at her to lay still and let the magic run its course before she moved around. He took a closer look around the area and found a broken hunk of rock that had a partial carving on it.

He went back to the pillars and matched them to the wall carvings and waited until Shalaree could stand and move out of the way before he grabbed the lever and yanked.

"It's the carvings on the walls. If we see another set of those movable pillars look for the matching ones carved somewhere. And for the love of the Divines, don't go yanking on the levers unless we're sure we have it figured out."

Shepard held up her hands and nodded, then when he turned around started to open and close them in an old Earth mocking motion before following him through the opened gate into the next area. "Talen? There's not much here," Shalaree said as she picked up the book and handed it to him before plucking the soul gem from the bracket.

Talen knelt in front of a chest and opened it. "I guess those other bandits grabbed everything they thought was valuable."

They moved down a wooden, rickety-looking, spiral ramp and killed several of the skeevers. They looted the area, and Talen sighed as he leaned against the stone table to watch her pick up the bowls and urns and look at them. He quietly thanked the Divines when she put it all back on the shelves instead of in her pack. He handed her the fireball scroll he found on the table; then they kept going deeper into the barrow.

They had just entered another area and saw a skeleton in the corner when Talen grabbed her and made the sign for silence. A few seconds later they heard someone shouting out names and yelling for them to get him out of there. They continued to listen and heard him mention the claw; they knew it was the thief. They looted the skeleton then moved closer to where the voice came from.

Talen started to mumble something under his breath as he reached out and touched the thick grayish-white strands that covered all the openings.

His tail swished to the side, and he glanced over his shoulder at Shalaree who stood there tapping her foot. He let out a sigh and held out a hand and used his flame spell to burn away the webbing. They took two steps into the room and Shalaree gave a piercing shriek as a gigantic spider came from the ceiling and spat goo at her. Talen ran for the spider then dove to the side as she kept screaming and a series of fireballs went flying past him and exploded one after the other when they hit the giant beast.

"Shalaree, stop it! You're wasting charges!" Talen yelled as another fireball exploded on the giant frostbite spider and sent it flying backward.

"Fuck the charges! It's a fricken spider the size of our wagon, get the hell out of the way Talen so I can kill it!"

"The fucking thing was dead after the second fireball let alone the fifth!"

She paused for a second and finally noticed the remainder of the spider was on its back and not moving. She cleared her throat as Talen stood up and moved out from behind the giant urn and shook his head at her. "What? I hate spiders!"

He placed a hand on her forehead and cast the remove poison spell to counteract the green goo that hit her before he moved over to the spider to collect any valuable parts that remained. Shalaree opened up all the large urns and told the elf that kept yelling at them to get him down and not to leave him there to shut up.

"Alright, gimme that claw," Shalaree said as Talen and she stood in front of the elf that hung suspended in the webbing.

"I can't get to it with my arms bound like this, let me down, and we can get the treasure together. I know all about the claw and how it works. The nords have hidden a treasure in there, and I know how to get it."

"I don't care. I just want the claw so we can take it back to the guy you stole it from then we'll haul your ass to the guards," Shepard said as Talen drew his sword and slashed at the webs holding the elf in place.

The elf dropped from the web and yelled he wouldn't share anything with them then started running away. Talen drew his bow and sent an arrow into the thief's back and sent him crashing into several clay urns. They searched him and found the claw along with a journal that she read aloud as he looted the room.

_"My fingers are trembling. The Golden Claw is finally in my hands, and with it, the power of the ancient Nordic heroes. That fool Lucan Valerius had no idea that his favorite store decoration was actually the key to Bleak Falls Barrow._

_Now I just need to get to the Hall of Stories and unlock the door. The legend says there is a test that the Nords put in place to keep the unworthy away, but that 'When you have the golden claw, the solution is in the palm of your hands.'"_

"I wonder what it means?" Shalaree asked as she tucked the claw and journal into her pack.

"I don't know. Now decision time, now that we have the claw do we go back and give it to the storekeeper or do we continue and hope to find some actual treasure because the best thing we found so far was that fireball scroll and the skeever tails."

"Hmm, I say we go on. If we can find that Hall of Stories that the journal talks about maybe we can figure out what it meant and get whatever that treasure is," Shalaree said. Talen stroked the feathers on his head and nodded.

As they moved into the next area, Talen started to slow down when he noticed the wrapped bodies in the niches of the wall. He came to a stop and she glanced up at him.

He held a finger to his mouth then changed his sword out for his bow and crouched down. His eyes focused on one of the bodies that wasn't wrapped and drew one of the steel tipped arrows from his quiver. He took careful aim and sent the arrow flying toward the body. When the arrow connected, they heard the clattering of something dropping to the stone floor and saw the body slump inside the niche. Shalaree opened her mouth to ask why he did that when they heard movement further down the passage. A clang of metal on metal and rapid footsteps echoed throughout the area.

"Draugr, get ready Shalaree. Firebolt or lightning staff. No fireballs this time."

"Shut up," she hissed as she changed out her staffs. "Hey, what are Draugr?"

He chuckled and readied his own flame bolt spell and sword. "You'll see, but no screaming or you'll draw more attention."

She was slightly shaking as she stood while Talen looted the items from the now dead, armored, mummified bodies that lay strewn on the floor. Draugr it turned out were animated skeletons and mummified remains.

"Wonderful. First house sized spiders and now the walking dead," she muttered then turned to see Talen balancing on a tilting rock and swiping something from one of the wrapped bodies in the upper niches.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Ancient Nordic coins bring in some good Septims, Shalaree. Same as what we did with the old coins from the Ayleid ruins. There's also some nice gems in this pouch."

When he finished searching the last niche they moved toward the hallway and Talen pointed to a raised circular area on the floor then jumped over it. Shalaree did the same and he pointed to the spiked grate that would have impaled them if he hadn't noticed the trap. Another arrow was launched at a body only, this time, the Draugr was able to sit up in the niche before another arrow pinned it to the wall.

Shalaree let out a tired sounding sigh as after another two hours of dealing with Draugr, traps, spilled oil on the floor that Talen had used to set several of the walking dead on fire by casting a flame bolt at it, they came to a what she thought was a dead end. Talen had just yanked an arrow from another Draugr while she sat on a rock next to a stream and ate a few pieces of jerky.

He hummed a tune as he picked the lock on a chest that sat on a raised area and added the bundle of Ancient Nord Arrows, a handful of old coins and an unknown potion to his pouch before he sat beside her on the rock.

"So no great treasure, what a crock of bullshit and I fell for it," Shalaree said as she tore off another hunk of the dried meat and chewed.

Talen nuzzled her before starting to eat his own piece of jerky. "We aren't finished in here yet, my dear. See that ring and pull chain embedded on the wall over there." He pointed across the stream to where a small grate blocked a hole in the wall where the water flowed through. "My guess is this place still has secrets to find, and we still have plenty of space in our packs as long as you don't pick up any forks or bowls from in here."

"Haven't found any I wanted, it's still early yet." Shalaree grinned at him, and he laughed before standing and stretching.

"We need to get moving again, I doubt you'll want to spend the night in here," he said as he jumped across the stream and pulled on the chain.

Talen's grin grew wide as he saw all of the glowing mushrooms that lined the wall of the cavern. He began to systematically remove every single one from the walls while she poked around a skeleton and listlessly struck at the ore deposits. After he had plucked the last mushroom cluster from the wall, they splashed through the fast moving stream to peer out into the cavern below. Talen cast two flame bolts down at the Draugr that paced along a natural bridge as Shalaree flipped open a chest and removed the scrolls and potions from inside.

It took them well over an hour to make it down the long tunnel that emptied out into the area they saw from the opening. Talen insisted on stopping to collect every single one of the mushrooms. He told her he needed them for his marking mixture and she nodded then proceeded to poke at rocks and yawn. Several more hours passed and they stood in front of an enormous iron door.

"This looks promising, Shalaree," he said as he poured some water into a cup and added a small spoonful of her tea herbs into it before using his flames to heat the cup. She had almost fallen asleep while sitting on a boulder as he changed out the bowstring on an ancient nord bow before he handed it to her along with a full quiver of the arrows that he had gathered up. She drank it and ate a small hunk of bread while he ran one taloned hand over the engravings on the door. She told him she was ready and he pushed the doors open.

"This must be it, the Hall of Stories," Shalaree said excitedly as she ran to the first engraved mural on the wall and looked at it. A woman surrounded by moths was in the center with several smaller, worn carved areas around it. "Do you know what this is?"

Talen stared at the mural. "It looks like the Aedra called Dibella, she's the Goddess of beauty and art. Usually worshiped by women of a... uh, sharing nature."

Shalaree looked at him and noticed his neck area had darkened. "Sharing nature? What the hell do you mean?"

Talen sighed. "Women who worship her usually have loose morals. You'll find most of them aren't adverse to having multiple sexual partners. They hide it, of course, after all, they don't want to get a bad reputation. Especially if they are business owners and they aren't above committing adultery. Not all of them do that, though."

"Huh. Alright, let's check out the next one."

They stood in front of the last mural, one of a man standing under a ring of fire when they heard someone clearing their throat, and they turned to see a rather large, heavily muscled, black khajiit standing there.

The male had long black dreadlocks with silver trinkets in them and eyes that reminded Shalaree of dark green emeralds. What caught Shalaree's eyes were the metal claw weapons that he had on his hands. Well, that and he was shirtless with a well defined, but rather furry chest and rock hard abs that a Marine would be envious of. He wore leather pants and boots, and several pouches hung from a wide leather belt that was around his waist. Shalaree swallowed as she noticed he even towered over Talen and would have been eye to eye with Garrus, if not slightly taller.

"This khajiit has no quarrel with you. You are the ones responsible for the bodies littered through the barrow?" his deep growling voice echoed in the silent hall.

"Yeah, we're hunting a thief that stole something from a local shopkeeper," Shalaree said as she tightened the grip on her staff.

"Ahh, Lucan from the Riverwood Traders? A week ago this khajiit was in Riverwood, and Lucan mentioned someone stole an ornament from him. I had to go to Whiterun to inform the Jarl of the dragon attack on Helgen and give them the request for aid from the blacksmith to get help to protect the town. While there the Jarl's wizard asked me to retrieve something from this place. A stone tablet. Have either of you found something that resembled a carved tablet with strange symbols and map markings on it?"

Shalaree shook her head. "No, nothing like that at all."

Shalaree and Talen looked at each other then Talen said, "We found the ornament and a journal. It mentioned a door in this room and a treasure behind it. Could that treasure be the tablet?"

The khajiit moved closer to them and nodded, he looked over Shalaree and purred. "Possibly. This khajiit is known as Do'Jahirr. What is your name?"

Talen's feathers lifted and his body stiffened; the khajiit had barely glanced at him but continued to stare at Shalaree.

"I'm Walks-In-Silence, she's my mate, Wandered-the-Stars."

The khajiit blinked. "Mate? Hmm, shame that someone else found you first. But, Do'Jahirr will not give up so easily." The large khajiit walked over to the door and studied it. "This khajiit hasn't seen a door like this before, have you?"

"No, but the journal said something about there being a test to pass to keep the unworthy from getting inside and that the claw was the key to the door," Shalaree said as she took the journal and claw from her pack.

She handed Do'Jahirr the journal and he read over the passage then studied the claw. He smiled down at Shalaree. "Ahh, ingenious. The monastery where I learned the fighting skills of a monk had puzzles like this. Watch." He handed the items back to Shalaree and walked to the door.

"Look at the palm of the claw, Serush Fa, and tell me which creature the uppermost circle holds." Do'Jahirr flexed his arms and back muscles as his tail swayed gracefully from side to side. Then he took hold of the raised carving on the door and pulled. The ring moved and Shalaree and Talen gasped.

"Serush Fa?" Shalaree asked as she tipped the claw toward the light of the torch set into the wall.

The khajiit purred and chuckled. "It is Ta`agra, my native language, and it means Beautiful One."

Talen snarled at the khajiit's back and paced across the width of the passage.

"Hmm, the first one is a bear," Shalaree said, and Do'Jahirr moved to the outer ring and dug his claws into it and pulled until they saw the large head of a bear.

"The others are moth and owl. Which one does the middle circle depict, Serush Fa?"

Talen leaned in when he noticed Shalaree was having a hard time recognizing the creatures and whispered "moth" while pointing to the middle one and "owl" at the last circle.

"A moth, then the owl in the last ring," Shalaree said and looked up to mouth the words "thank you" to Talen. He gripped her shoulder and watched as Do'Jahirr moved the rings into place.

Do'Jahirr stepped back from the door after he moved the small ring. "Now, Serush Fa, use the claw as you would a door key. Do you see how there are holes spaced the same as those long talons on the claw?"

Shalaree nodded then inserted the talons into the holes. She swallowed as she turned the claw clockwise then pulled it from the door as it began to shudder. All three of them stepped back further as dust and debris fell from the ceiling as the door jerked and shuddered as it lowered into the floor.

"Ah, puzzle solved. Do'Jahirr is only interested in the tablet, you have earned the rest of the treasure for clearing the barrow. Shall we go?"

While Talen slammed the pickaxe into the wall furiously, Shalaree asked Do'Jahirr about the dragon attack.

"So the dragons really do exist?" She nervously asked as she rocked from side to side.

"They exist. This khajiit had the unfortunate experience of seeing the one that attacked and destroyed Helgen for himself. I was in Helgen at the time as an unwelcome guest of the Imperials. I helped one of the Imperials to escape from the destruction and we made our way to Riverwood."

"That wouldn't have been Hadvar? Would it?" Shalaree asked, and Do'Jahirr nodded.

"Yes. Hadvar was the only Imperial I would have bothered to help. He knew when the Captain ordered them to kill me it was wrong, as I was not with the Stormcloaks and was a lone traveler to this land. The Captain didn't care, she was power hungry and saw an opportunity to be rid of one more khajiit. Hadvar apologized and promised to return my body to Elsweyr after they murdered me. Just as the executioners axe raised to chop off my head, we were attacked by a dragon."

Talen dumped the ore into his pack and joined the others as they stood on one side of a natural rock bridge and stared at a giant wall with a carving of a dragon sitting on top of it. He pointed to the coffin and Shalaree let out a disgruntled sigh.

"Why do I have a feeling another Draugr is going to pop out of that thing." Shalaree gripped her staff and followed Do'Jahirr across the bridge. Talen started to gather up a few pieces of treasure from a shelf, while Shalaree kept watch on the coffin. She glanced over at Do'Jahirr to see him stumble as he got closer to the wall and a blue light swirled out from one of the carvings and surrounded the khajiit.

"Do'Jahirr? Are you alright? What the hell was that light?" Shalaree asked then jumped back as the lid of the coffin moved and a huge Draugr with a giant axe stepped out. Talen and Do'Jahirr ran for the creature as Shalaree pointed her staff at it.

"FUS!" the creature hissed, and they stumbled back from it as a blast of air or something hit them.

Talen fought with flames and his sword. Do'Jahirr punched and kicked the creature using a form of martial arts; the claws ripped into the Draugr causing it to stumble. Shalaree used her telekinesis staff to hurl urns, rocks, and linen wraps at it that Talen set on fire to burn the undead. When the fight was over, Shalaree hurried over and handed a small healing potion to Do'Jahirr and made sure Talen had one as well.

She hissed at Talen because she saw him intentionally turn a short blast of fire toward the khajiit. "Don't think I didn't see that Talen." The argonian tried to look innocent as she frowned at him before she rushed back over to Do'Jahirr and smeared his arms and chest with one of the healing salves she had made. She glared back over her shoulder and Talen sighed then cast a Convalescence spell on him as well.

Everyone was healed and Shalaree made sure the burns wouldn't leave any scars then they searched the area. Talen found the tablet on the Draugr as well as picking up the axe it had carried noting the way the metal carried a chill. Shalaree emptied the chest and stuffed her findings in a pack.

"I wonder why the court wizard would be interested in this tablet," Do'Jahirr mumbled as he tried to make sense of what was on it. "It does not matter I suppose. Thank you for helping me to defeat that Draugr. I do think it would be best to leave this place quickly; I do not want to run into another one of those things so soon."

They found themselves standing on a rock ledge high up a mountainside when they left the barrow. Do'Jahirr bent down and picked up a potion tucking it into his bag then pointed to the right. "The ledge slopes downward on that side." They slid along the ledge and jumped down on a few boulders finally ending up on the ground.

Talen turned toward the khajiit and said, "Well I'm sure you're in a hurry to return that tablet. Nice meeting you. Goodbye." Then he grabbed for Shalaree's hand.

"This khajiit will accompany you back to Riverwood. It's on the way and a hot meal and warm bed would be welcome before walking to Whiterun."

"We can't offer you a warm bed, but a hot meal, a cot and a free place to sleep we can. Tell me about Whiterun," Shalaree said, and Talen gritted his teeth as Shalaree and Do'Jahirr started walking toward the town as the khajiit told her of the central hold of Skyrim.


	29. Chapter 29

* * *

 

 

When they reached the small campsite, Talen handed a small pouch of coins to the man that sat by the fire and gave him thanks for watching over their belongings. The man shrugged and told him he that until the mill started hiring workers again, he didn't have an income and any work was welcome. Especially if they were all as easy as just sitting by a warm fire and eating a good hearty meal and having mead to drink. Talen laughed and clapped a clawed hand on the man's shoulder and wished him good fortune.

Shalaree showed Do'Jahirr to the small tent they had set up before bringing a stack of furs for the khajiit to use. Talen watched the khajiit flirt with his mate, and it caused him to clench his hands into fists.

"Talen, while I get our loot sorted for sale why don't you take the horses and gather up our stashes and bring them back. By the time you return, I'll have a meal ready and all this stuff done for a quick trip into town in the morning to the shops," Shalaree said as she started to unload their packs.

"We can both go in the morning after Do'Jahirr leaves."

Shalaree looked up at him and cocked her eyebrow. "I want to head into Whiterun too. With him along we have a sort of guide and an extra fighter since he will be leaving to go there in the morning it only makes sense to travel together that far. So we really need all that junk tonight."

"Ahh, do not worry my new friend. Do'Jahirr will take good care of Serush Fa while you are gone," the khajiit said as he removed the metal claw weapons from his hands and hung them from a loop on his belt before adjusting the crotch of the snug-fitting leather pants and sitting on a stump.

Talen growled as he stared at the smug looking khajiit before summoning flames in his one hand.

Shalaree finished dumping the contents of Talen's pack on the ground and didn't see the by-play of the two males. "Talen get a move on so you're back before it gets too dark."

Talen stomped to the front of the wagon and removed the riding gear for Thunder and the extra packs to load on Vapor. After he had the horses ready he walked over to where Shalaree just dumped cut up meat and vegetables it into a pot hanging over the fire and pulled her into a suffocating hug and kissed her. "I'll be back quickly. Tonight we sleep inside the wagon, and we'll want privacy," he said as he grabbed her ass and pressed his hardness against her.

Shalaree stood stunned for a moment as she watched Talen mount up and ride hell bent for leather toward the bridge and the pass leading up to the tower.

"Hmm, it seems a few hours between the furs with me while he is gone is out of the question?"

Shalaree turned to Do'Jahirr and nodded. "Not that I don't find you extremely attractive, but no, I won't have sex with you. It's complicated between us. He was the one that found me when I was... lost and has taken care of me since. He's put up with stuff from my past and has started to give me a reason to live again. We've come here hoping to find a home for us."

Do'Jahirr let out a low growling rumble. "This land is not friendly to those that are not nord, less so for ones like him and I. It will not be easy, but this khajiit wishes you luck. Now, tell me about yourself, Serush Fa. Tell me how it is you can use a bow but are not armed with a sword or other weapon and use only staffs like a mage but without any magic of your own."

She snorted and stirred the stew and told him a short version of what happened.

"Interesting. So you have training in hand to hand fighting and weapons that fire projectiles similar to a bow but more powerful. Would you like to train with me while your mate is gone? From the sound of it, you have not had much time for hand to hand and it can be relaxing to work off frustrations in that way."

Shalaree grinned. "You sound like a friend of mine from where I used to live. His people would blow off steam by either having sex or sparring."

Do'Jahirr stood and grinned down at her. "The offer of sharing my furs is always open to you, Serush Fa if you would rather find ease that way."

"Tempting, but I'll have to decline to test your sexual prowess, on the other hand, your fighting skills were superb, and I wouldn't mind testing them out and maybe learning a little. It will give me another option to fight with not just conking things over the head with the staff."

"This khajiit will show you the basics; then we will spar, yes?" Do'Jahirr said as he removed the weapons and belt from around his waist. "This khajiit will not harm you with claws whether metal," he raised his hands and extended his claws before retracting them again, "or by my natural weapons."

She quickly discarded the heavy fur cloak and ran into the wagon to change into her old set of leathers before joining him in the small clearing near the water.

 

* * *

 

"That damned khajiit better keep his paws off of Shalaree while we're gone," Talen muttered to Vapor as he loaded the packs on the horse. Thunder gave a soft snort from the other side of him as if in agreement. After making sure the load was even, he mounted Thunder and headed further up the mountain pass to the Barrow.

By the time he finished loading the goods on the horses the sun had long set and the air had grown even colder. He made a clicking sound and started the sure-footed horses back down the slope and toward town. The horses must have sensed they were heading back to their warm shelter and moved quickly through the snow covered pass.

When Talen rode into camp, he found the two of them laughing while sitting near the cooking fire holding bowls in their hands and bottles of mead in the short grass next to them. He also noticed that Shalaree wasn't wearing her armor but a pair of her soft leather pants and a flowing tunic. Talen's eyes narrowed when he recognized the yellow tunic that the khajiit wore as one of the overly large shirts that Shalaree normally slept in.

"Talen, you're back. Sit by the fire and get something hot to eat while we take care of the horses," Shalaree said as she stood up. Talen's eyes narrowed as he heard her softly hiss as she moved toward the horses.

Do'Jahirr stood up as well and smirked at Talen as he ran a black furry hand over the shirt. "Don't worry my friend; Serush Fa will be sore for a day or so. She handled everything this khajiit gave her rather well and found much enjoyment from him and Do'Jahirr enjoyed the many hours he had with her."

"You son of a bitch," Talen lunged at Do'Jahirr. The khajiit was naturally agiler than the argonian and side-stepped out of the way quickly.

"What the hell are you doing, Talen?"

"Why, Shalaree? How could you do this?" Talen asked as he stood staring at her in the firelight.

"Do what? What're you talking about?"

"You had sex with him, yet you deny me. Why?"

"I did what now? What do you mean I had sex with Do'Jahirr? Did he tell you that?" Shalaree crossed her arms and stared at Talen and Do'Jahirr.

Talen looked at her then back at Do'Jahirr who stood there with that same damn smirk on his face and his tail swishing back and forth.

"Well, I'm waiting, Talen." Shalaree glared at him, and he cleared his throat.

"He... he didn't actually come right out and say it." Talen's feathers ruffled, and he thanked the Hist that it was dark so they couldn't see the deepening color that darkened his hide. "Did you?"

"I can't believe you," Shalaree hissed at him and turned around to stalk toward the still laden horses.

"Ah, no wonder Serush Fa had so much pent up frustration to work out. No sex and no one to be able to fight with safely." Do'Jahirr bent down to pick up their dishes and moved over to the bucket and dumped them into it.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Do'Jahirr turned back to Talen and lowered his voice to a throaty growl. "Serush Fa was used to having a mate and friends that could fight with their hands. To release the build up of frustration or sexual needs through fighting when her mate was no longer with her. But you are not trained in such a manner, and she will not risk injury to you. So those frustrations have built up. She told me some about her previous life, her mate and how she came to be here. She left much out. The hours we spent fighting helped to relax her. There was nothing to worry about, Talen-Ai, she is a faithful mate, and you are an extremely lucky argonian." Do'Jahirr looked over to where Shalaree had begun to unload the packs, and he leaned in to whisper that instead of talking to him Talen should be over there apologizing to his mate and helping her.

Talen stared at Do'Jahirr's retreating back as he headed toward the river's edge before turning back toward Shalaree and groaning. She kept slamming the pieces of armor or weapons into different piles with enough force to make a loud clanging noise. He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sigh, 'might as well get this over with,' he thought and walked toward Thunder who still had to have his saddle and blanket removed and brushed down.

He worked in silence for a few minutes then covered the horse with a different blanket and put his feed bag on before removing the remaining sacks from Vapor and laying them near Shalaree then taking care of the horse. By the time he had finished, she was down to the last few sacks of items.

He knelt near her and placed a hand over hers as she reached for another bag. "Shalaree. Stop for a moment and let me apologize. I should have known you wouldn't do that. I saw how easily you talked to him and how easily he got you to open up. Not to mention I saw him wearing your sleeping shirt and I jumped to conclusions. It didn't help much with the way he's been looking at you and flirting."

Shalaree hesitated before grabbing a fur and leather cuirass that had several holes from arrows in it and tossed it into the sell pile. "That's no excuse for what you said to me, Talen. How many damn times have we ran across an inn, and I've had to put up with the female innkeepers there? Did you really think I would do that after I bitched about you and them? You knew how I feel about that shit. I may not be having sex with you, but we're a team, and we've agreed to find a home together and settle down. This shit just pisses me off. I find someone I have something in common with in this strange fucking world, and you act this way?" She tossed a dagger onto the weapon pile and laid the piece of scrap leather on top of the stack next to her before reaching for another sack.

"He's wearing my shirt because he doesn't have anything that doesn't fit into one of those small pouches of his. He told me the soldiers took everything when they falsely arrested him, and it was only because of the few things he found and a couple of wolves that he killed that he had enough money to buy the extra ores to make those claws. The blacksmith gave him some ingots and let him use the forge, but what he has with him is everything he owns. So I let him borrow my shirt to help ward off the chill since he's got to sleep in the tent and he doesn't even have one of those for himself after we leave him at Whiterun. I look at the abundance of goods we've found and our caravan wagon and see how well off we are. He helped us out and didn't ask for a damn thing, but healing and that stupid tablet and you care about me giving him a shirt?"

Talen's tail thumped on the ground next to his leg, and he let out a sigh of frustration. "I know I messed up. I didn't even realize that he had nothing."

"I didn't either until after you left and we started to talk. After he had taught me some of his fighting skills and we ate a bit, he went to go lay down, and I saw him shivering. I asked him why he didn't put on the rest of his armor and he shrugged and told me all he had he already wore. The only thing we had that fit the huge guy was my shirt."

Talen rubbed his hands along his thighs and hummed before he reached for the last sack and opened it up to sort the items. "I don't think the store and blacksmith will be able to buy all of this Shalaree. Let's pack up the small, cheap things to sell here. We'll be better off selling the rest when we get to Whiterun tomorrow. If it's alright with you, when we go to the Trader's in the morning let's see if we can't get a few things for him; as an apology from me."

Shalaree looked over at Talen and nodded, "Alright. You better go and get the last of the stew before he gets hungry again and clears out another pot. That khajiit can pack away the food when he gets going."

While Talen ate, Shalaree carried the gear into the wagon and stored it away. She had just finished, and Talen had stood to get ready to go to sleep when Do'Jahirr returned carrying three salmon. He handed the fish to Shalaree before he ducked into the small tent and closed the flap.

 

* * *

 

Shalaree woke Do'Jahirr just before dawn, and he began to break down the tent while she fried up the fish he had brought her the night before. Once it had finished cooking, she ate a portion then woke Talen who hurriedly ate and after a tense silence gave a huff and showed Do'Jahirr how to stow the gear to the side of the wagon. They hitched the horses and made their way into town.

Talen gathered the gear they would be selling and the claw from the storage compartment before entering the store and began to haggle for their sale. While they were there, Talen muttered that Shalaree wanted to buy a few things as gifts to Do'Jahirr. The khajiit had the nerve to grin and loudly purred when he heard the news and it was all Talen could do not to set the monk on fire. An hour later both men left the store; Do'Jahirr carried a backpack with a bedroll, axe, waterskin, and lantern attached to the back and wearing a mottled gray and black fur cloak. Before they left the town Talen opened the door and woke Shalaree.

The three of them climbed into the wagon, and Talen carefully maneuvered it to point back toward the small stone bridge. They slowly rumbled their way along the packed dirt and stone roadway, at one point Talen pulled the wagon to a halt when Do'Jahirr stood and held out a hand to him and hissed at him to hold up.

"There. Do you hear it?" Do'Jahirr asked as he slipped on the claws and jumped from the wagon.

Talen listened then handed the reins to Shalaree to climb down and draw his sword. The horses began to blow breaths through their noses and stamp their feet. A few seconds later the howl of a wolf sounded off to the side, and a pack of three large black wolves tore out of the area between two large rocks and ran for the group.

Shalaree packed the wolf meat into one of the barrels while Talen stored the hides so he could cure them later. They started again and made it to a large bend in the road an hour later when once again Talen stopped the wagon so Shalaree could see the large town of Whiterun in the far distance. She saw several other buildings scattered around the area, and they quickly started moving the wagon again.

It was early afternoon when they pulled their wagon off the side of the road in front of a building with a swaying sign with a large tankard on it. The guards that passed by them told them it was the Honningbrew Meadery and they could purchase some cheap ale from the proprietor if the store was open. They didn't seem to have any regular hours lately, and the guards didn't know why, all they knew was to walk the road and guard the area against bandits, thieves, and attacks from wildlife.

Shalaree went to the door and pulled on it, then tried to push without having any luck. "It's closed." Talen looked up from the bushes he picked ingredients from and nodded. Shalaree climbed back into the wagon as Do'Jahirr came wandering back around the other side of one of the buildings with his arms full of bottles. "Open the door, Serush Fa; Do'Jahirr found all these bottles of mead laying around in various barrels stacked outside. I found some trash too but left that behind."

She jumped down and opened one of the outside storage boxes and he carefully dumped the bottles inside then started to remove more from his pack. "I wish I could have found more than just mead but..."

"You found--" Shalaree quickly counted the bottles, "forty-three bottles of mead just lying around?"

"Yes, there must have been at least 30 barrels, some were empty or just had trash in them, and some had a couple of bottles of this mead in it. The seals are good on them. It looks like they just didn't remove all the bottles in the bottom before moving the barrels back to actual meadery."

"And you just took them?"

He shrugged, "They left them unguarded and outside. If they didn't want someone to take them, they should have made sure to remove them from the barrels first."

Shalaree scratched then shook her head as she locked the box back up. She and Do'Jahirr waited for Talen to finish gathering up the abundance of ingredients before they set off again.

Do'Jahirr pointed out the various farms and told them that one of the farmhouses behind the large windmill was for sale. "It's a large dairy according to the sign and very expensive." Talen craned his neck as they passed by the path that would lead up to the large home and made a note of where it was, they would stop later to take a look.

"Holy shit, stop the damn wagon, Talen," Shalaree yelled and pointed at the huge creature banging what looked like a tree trunk into the ground surrounded by a group of people at its feet. "What the hell's that thing?"

"A giant. What's it doing so close to a settlement?" Talen said as he jumped from the wagon followed by Do'Jahirr. Both of them took off running to help the group fight the giant while Shalaree tried to keep the horses from bolting.

Several minutes later the crash of the huge being caused a dust cloud and various vegetables to be strewn into the air as it hit the ground. Shalaree pulled the wagon up to the group and after she had set the brake jumped down and hurried over to Talen.

"That was incredibly stupid, Talen. You ran into that mess without assessing the danger first."

"I'm fine, and so is Do'Jahirr. That giant attacked a farm and had to be stopped," Talen said as he patiently let her check him over for injuries.

She snorted, "The ones that were already fighting seemed to be handling it just fine."

"Took you long enough to join, anyone would have relished the fight," a woman said from behind them, and Shalaree glanced over her shoulder to see a female with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes with green markings that Shalaree supposed resembled slash marks across her face.

"Uh-huh. I've been in too many battles that didn't have decent intel and just had to jump in. We have no idea who you are or what caused that giant to come into this area and attack. For all we knew you and your little group did something to piss it off, and it chased you here and caught up with you. We had no idea if you would turn on us once we got it down or not. So keep your little "relish fighting" shit to yourself and buzz off." Shalaree turned her back to the woman and moved over to examine Do'Jahirr.

"We are fighters from the Company of Companions, a group of honorable fighters from Whiterun," the female haughtily said, and Shalaree shrugged.

"Never heard of you," Shalaree replied then pushed Talen and Do'Jahirr toward the wagon. "We're in a hurry, and this set us back."

"Shalaree? What the hell are you doing? I've heard of this group, and it's like she said, they're honorable," Talen hissed.

"Uh-huh, you've heard of them, but have you ever seen them? How do you know that woman isn't just lying her ass off and saying it?"

"Damn it, woman, stop pushing me." Talen stumbled as he neared the road and climbed up behind her on the wagon while Do'Jahirr got up on the other side and waved to the stunned group that they had left behind. Shalaree grabbed up the reins and clicked to the horses and started the wagon moving at a fast clip down the road and toward the town.

 

* * *

 

She slowed down as she spotted movement ahead of them. Stalls lined the road leading to the outer defensive wall of the town, and people stood shouting about their wares. Shalaree let out a low whistle the closer they got to the walls. When they found a spot that was flat and large enough to stop the wagon on and be out of the main stream of traffic they pulled over and set the brake.

"Well my friends, this is Whiterun. There are more shops inside along with an inn if you do not wish to stay in your wagon. This khajiit thanks you for your company and the ride to town and hopes to see you again. I wish you a safe journey and may you always walk on warm sands," Do'Jahirr said as he slipped his new pack on his back and slid the heavy dragonstone out from inside the storage compartment that Shalaree had just unlocked.

Shalaree grinned and gave him a brief hug, much to Talen's consternation, and told him to wait while she bundled up a few things for him. She climbed into the back of the wagon and started to package up several of the healing potions and salves she made along with dried meat and fruits. Talen began to empty one of the storage crates of items they wanted to sell.

"Here, they aren't the greatest, but I hope they'll help, Do'Jahirr." Shalaree pressed the sacks into his hands even though he tried to refuse them.

"They are very much appreciated, Serush Fa." He purred as he tucked the sacks under his one arm then held out his hand to Talen.

"You are a strong fighter, Walks-in-Silence, this khajiit was proud to have fought beside you."

Talen narrowed his eyes then quickly shook the hand that was held toward him. "Yeah, you're not so bad yourself... when you stopped trying to get into my mate's breeches."

"Talen!"

Do'Jahirr gave a loud purring laugh and waved as he started to walk through the open gate.

"Come on Talen, let's go sell that stuff at these stalls and try and find someplace we can safely set up camp for the night."

"We'll be here for longer than the night, Shalaree. We have several bounties available in this area and maybe we can find more jobs on the board."

She nodded then picked up a small bundle of weapons while he locked the door and secured the wagon.

 

* * *

 

Shalaree picked through the crates of potatoes and pumpkins that were at one of the market stalls while Talen haggled to sell the last set of slightly ragged fur armor. Do'Jahirr came racing by them and shouted for them to follow him, he yelled that a dragon had attacked a watchtower near town and he needed more help to take it down.

Shalaree dropped the potato she held in her hand and Talen shoved the set of armor at the stall vendor then took off running after the khajiit as a group of town guards came racing through the open gate and headed northwest. They caught up to the khajiit as he veered off the road and ducked behind a large outcropping of rocks to catch his breath and wait for the guards to arrive.

"A dragon? Are you sure about this Do'Jahirr?" Talen asked as he peered around the boulders and saw smoking ruins not too far ahead of them on the other side of the road.

The khajiit nodded as he adjusted his claws. "Yes, a guard came in a short time after I had arrived in the castle with the news. He explained what he saw to the Jarl, and the Jarl asked his housecarl and me to stop the dragon before it destroyed any of the farms or attacked the town. The guard said it was still at the Watchtower when he escaped to come ask for help, but I do not see anything."

The guards joined them, and Do'Jahirr introduced the two of them to Irileth, the Jarl's housecarl. A few minutes after everyone said they were ready they moved cautiously across the road to survey the damage and to see if there were any survivors.

There were several guards still alive, and one yelled out to run that there was a dragon nearby, shortly after another yell came and they turned to see a guard standing on a broken piece of the tower pointing to a dark blob flying their way. Shalaree squinted slightly until her cybernetic eyes focused on the blob and made out giant wings.

"Holy hell, it's really a dragon out of human myths and fairy tales. It was bad enough about that giant being real once I saw it..."

"Serush Fa?"

"I'll explain later Do'Jahirr, right now we have to spread out so the dragon can't hit us in one pass. This thing isn't as large as a Reaper at least, keep moving around. Don't stand still, so you don't make a perfect target, and for fuck's sake get those guards down off those broken pieces of the tower, they stand out like sitting ducks and will be one of the first to be targeted. Let the ranged attacks draw it down then melee take it on," Shalaree called out, and the guards looked at each other then at Irileth. "As soon as the dragon looks like it's going to breathe, start running for the closest bit of cover or run toward the side of it, so it's forced to turn. The rest keep attacking. Heal as you need, duck and cover and attack when the opportunity arises. Talen, concentrate using your bow, conserve your magic to use for heals on the guards and us. When it's on the ground, hit it with some elemental attacks and use your potions. Move people, here it comes!"

Shalaree started to point out places of cover and yelled move as she drew out a staff and took off for one of them. Irileth narrowed her eyes then nodded and the guards followed Shalaree's directions.

The ones with bows kept running in all directions, only stopping once they reached cover to aim and let loose an arrow before running again if the dragon's head turned toward them. As soon as it did several arrows rained down upon it from the other archers. The dragon roared out in anger and blew a breath of flame at the closest target. Talen countered with several ice bolts then started running toward the closest guard as he healed himself. He stopped only long enough to cast a Convalescent spell and to quaff a blue magic replenishing draught before turning toward the dragon and hitting it with more ice spells as several of the guards, Irileth, and Do'Jahirr attacked the grounded dragon.

Shepard's staff summoned electrical bolts seemed to give it a slight pause as it stuttered when trying to move and it gave Do'Jahirr enough time to actually run up the dragon's leg, using the metal claws to dig into the scales. The khajiit dropped down on top of the beast's head and reared back to slam both claw weapons into one of its eyes as more ice spells, arrows, and sword attacks landed on it. The dragon seemed to shudder, and Do'Jahirr leaped from the head and somersaulted in the air to land far enough away from the creature's body so he didn't get crushed by the death throe. They all heard a thunderous roar from the dragon just as the creature's head hit the ground.

Everyone was breathing raggedly and cautiously approached the corpse. Irileth called out to keep away, but Shalaree, Do'Jahirr, and Talen drew closer to inspect the creature. Talen grabbed Shalaree's arm and pulled her back as the corpse started to glow, and a bright white light seemed to connect Do'Jahirr and the dragon. The khajiit threw his head back and his arms out to his sides and shuddered as his feet left the ground. The light seemed to flow into the black khajiit causing him to glow for several seconds before he dropped back to the ground and stumbled.

Shalaree and Talen moved back to their friend and barely heard the guard's mutterings of Dragonborn.

"What the fuck was that? What happened? Are you alright? Talen, what did that dragon do to him?"

"Calm down, Shalaree and let me take a look." Talen cast a few heal spells, a cure disease spell, and a cure poison. "He's fine. A little banged up still, but nothing that I can detect. Do'Jahirr you may want to get checked out by a temple's healer when you get back to town."

Do'Jahirr nodded then turned swiftly as one of the guards approached him and was followed by several more. "You're the Dragonborn. I can't believe it."

"Dragonborn? What's a Dragonborn?" Shalaree asked then listened to the guards talk about old Skyrim tales concerning people with the power to absorb dragon souls and learn their language and use words of power.

Irileth interrupted them by saying they shouldn't believe in this Dragonborn nonsense and that someone that could take down a dragon was good enough for her. When the guards contradicted her, because she was a dark elf and from Morrowind and not a Nord, she scoffed at them.

"Well if he's the Dragonborn he should be able to shout. Have you tried it?" One of the guards asked Do'Jahirr.

The khajiit frowned and looked down at Shalaree when she nudged him with her elbow. "That weird wall in the barrow. Maybe that is connected."

Do'Jahirr carefully rubbed the side of his face then grinned. He turned to the side where it was only open space then shouted "FUS!", the same blast of force blew rocks and rubble into the air, and several guards gasped.

"That's proof. He's the Dragonborn."

The guards milled around until Irileth told them to get back to town and suggested to Do'Jahirr that the Jarl would want to see him as soon as he got to the Dragon Reach castle.

Shalaree, Talen, and Do'Jahirr started to gather anything useful from the corpse then systematically searched the area for anything they may have missed. They retrieved many arrows, found a Whiterun guard shield, and several other bits and pieces before Talen found several iron deposits. They waited for him to gather the ore and slowly walked back to town, all of them discussing what just happened and stopping while Talen stocked his ingredient pouch. The sun had just begun to set when they made it back to market stalls and all of them froze as a booming voice, loud as thunder, echoed through the area. "Dovahkiin!"

Do'Jahirr frowned as his tail swayed. "Dovahkiin? That dragon called out the same thing as it died."

Shalaree looked at him and pulled off her helmet to scratch her forehead.

"Come on, let's move the wagon away from the market area and set up camp back down the road a bit. We'll get some sleep, and you can report in the morning. It's been a really, really long day," Shalaree said as she looked back down the road where the watchtower was out of sight, but the flames still burned and lit the area.

"Sounds good, Serush Fa. Maybe you can tell me about the things you call Reapers that are larger than dragons."


	30. Chapter 30

* * *

 

 

They found a flat enough area to set up camp across the road from the outer walls and far enough away from any farms so no farmers would take issue with them. While Shalaree dug a firepit and gathered field rocks to line it with, Talen and Do'Jahirr set up the tents and settled the horses.

Over that night's dinner of freshly caught rabbit with vegetables from the market and mead that Talen had chilled with a short blast of an ice spell into the nearby stream and a quick dunking of the bottles into the partially frozen water, Shalaree began telling them about the Reapers.

Talen gathered their dishes and put them to the side as the others settled near the fire. He tossed another log onto the fire that shot up hot embers before he settled behind Shalaree and pulled her back against him and into his arms.

"You have to remember this takes place where I come from originally. It's not just one world, but an entire galaxy of worlds and stars." They all looked up at the sky as she said this. The clear sky held so many twinkling stars and on that night even the aurora, that was not normally seen at that time of year, was bright. It's blues and greens blended into the purple and red background.

"Many years ago I became an executive officer on a ship, the second-in-charge when the Captain was ashore. I also led the ground team of specially trained fighters. Initially, the Captain told the crew that we were only doing a shakedown run on a new vessel that was a joint build between the humans and turians. Turians are a species that looked like a mix between avian and bug with a splash of large reptile thrown in. They descended from a predator race and were tough bastards, but most of them were honest and honorable. A turian once said that a turian would commit murder if he could get away with it, but if asked outright if he did it, he would confess and not lie about it.

"Anyway, the mission briefing didn't cover everything. There was a turian onboard, Nihlus Kryik, the most highly decorated Spectre of all time. Spectres are people that are chosen to be something like the hand of justice for the Citadel Council. It's short for Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, they only answer to the Council and are autonomous. Their main responsibility is to preserve galactic stability, using whatever means is necessary. The ship, the Normandy, was also fully manned, which didn't make sense and had most of the officers onboard nervous." She stopped talking long enough to drink some mead and wiggle a little before starting again.

"About halfway through the mission, I get a call to report to the debriefing room. It was there I finally found out what else the mission was about. Nihlus was there to evaluate me to see if I would be a good candidate for Spectre status. They told me the real reason for the mission. It was more than a shakedown run; we were heading to a planet with a human colony called Eden Prime to pick up and return to the Council a Prothean Beacon."

Talen shifted to the side as he reached for his own bottle and Do'Jahirr took a long metal pole and poked the fire. "What's a Protein... beacon?" Talen asked.

"Prothean Beacon. Protheans were a race of beings that lived over 50,000 years before I was even born. It was their technology, or what we originally thought was theirs; that led us to our major breakthroughs in space travel, communications, and so many solutions to our health issues. Once we decoded their beacons, we led healthier and longer lives, found ways to cure most of the diseases that were killing us and let us begin to heal the damage we did to our planet through our stupidity. I learned that the colony had found a beacon and it would be a fairly simple pickup. Nihlus told me that there would be many such missions together so he could learn more about me before deciding if his report would be favorable or not. Then halfway through him telling me more of the mission an emergency signal came from the planet. A short vid clip accompanied the signal; it showed something brutally attacking the inhabitants and the few soldiers that were there under attack by overwhelming forces. It also showed a strange ship that we found out later was a Reaper. It was enormous. Think of stacking three to five dragons, snout to tail and that would be about the length of a Reaper destroyer ship. The large ones... Gods, the main ships were bigger than any ship I had ever seen before. One of the damned legs of one of the Harbinger ships dwarfed the Normandy."

She rooted through the stack of firewood and kindling and brought back several pieces and laid them out. "Imagine this piece here represents the destroyer ships. They were approximately 190 meters tall. They would come down and destroy the buildings; their technology would keep our weapons guidance systems scrambled so that our missiles, like gigantic exploding arrows, from hitting it." She reached for a slightly larger piece of kindling. "This is the Normandy, sleek and beautiful. Built for stealth missions and the ones where we need to get in, get what we need, and get the hell back out again as fast as possible." She reached for a huge chunk of wood that was over four times longer than the piece she called the Normandy.

"This one is the Sovereign class Reaper ships. This type was what we ran across the most and the one that was on Eden Prime."

Both of the males looked at the remaining piece of wood that was even larger, then at each other while she settled once more back into Talen's arms. He hugged her as she began to tell more of her story. "When we arrived Nihlus said he would go ahead and we were to follow. Within minutes of landing and heading toward the settlement, we came under attack by geth drones. They killed the youngest member of my ground crew. That boy didn't even make it twelve minutes on that planet, the one he called home. We ran, fought, and encountered our first sight of what we came to call husks. The geth that were working with the Reapers were using ancient devices we called Dragon's Teeth," she let out a small chuckle at the irony of it before continuing, "to impale humans that were still alive and injecting them with what were called nanites. They were minuscule machines that would change the human into a Reaper troop. They were no longer human, nothing of their humanity remained in them."

She paused when Do'Jahirr asked what geth were.

"Geth are machines. Intelligent machines that a race called Quarians built to be, 'cheap labor and do the jobs that no one else wanted or were too dangerous for them to do.' The only problem was they evolved and began to think for themselves and question their existence. They became AI's, Artificial Intelligence, and those are illegal and can become extremely dangerous. Instead of facing up to what they did and trying to work with the geth, the quarians decided to destroy them. The geth began to fight back, especially when the quarians that were trying to protect them were killed right along with them. Eventually, the geth began to win the fight, and the quarians fled their homeworld. The geth didn't give chase but returned to Rannoch and stayed there, only leaving once in a while to trade and procure items they couldn't build or manufacture themselves. The Reapers came, contacted them, and promised them the ability to become fully alive, to give them the capacity to feel emotions and other things that we organics take for granted. The geth split into factions; some went with the Reapers and others remained behind to try and evolve naturally. The group that stayed called themselves,"True Geth."

"We picked up one of the only surviving military presence still on the planet, a human woman named Ashley, and kept going. We found more information and headed to where the last known location of Nihlus was. We found him dead. Shot in the back. A witness told us about a turian that had done it. Saren, another Spectre and one that we found out was rather ruthless and hated humans. He didn't care about the collateral damage that he would cause while getting the job done. And the Council didn't care either. The geth were with him, and he was also after the Beacon. He ended up placing bombs to destroy the colony and any evidence that he had been there. My team disabled the bombs, and when we were waiting for pick up one of the team got too close to the Beacon, and it started to draw him in. I jumped and threw him out of the way only to be sucked toward the Beacon myself. It... accessed my brain and bombarded me with broken images of death and destruction. Of machines and images of what looked like statues and of living tissues and organisms being stuffed with metal chips and wires. It was so painful and chaotic that I passed out. That was the start of the whole Reaper war mess."

Do'Jahirr got up to put more logs on the fire and check on the horses as Talen brought them more mead. Shepard got up and stretched then walked to the back of the wagon and leaned against the side as she looked out over the plains and picked out light from a lantern here and there from a farmhouse or guard. She turned toward a noise and watched as Talen approached her.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked as he reached up and tucked several strands of hair behind her ear. She nodded and heavily sighed as she closed her eyes.

"I'm fine. Just reliving the memories can be difficult. That part of the story, the beginning, wasn't the worst that happened and I'm not sure how I'm going to handle the rest of it."

Talen tugged on her, and she stepped into his scaly arms and wrapped her own arms around him. "You don't have to finish the story tonight. What you have shared tonight is more than you ever had before, Shalaree."

"I know. I think it would be best to get out as much of it as I can. Like lancing a festering wound. Drain out the mess that's causing the pain and problems and clean it so it can heal; so I can finally heal."

He gave a soft grunt and hugged her tightly. "When we are alone and back on the road I will share my story. It is for your ears only and not those furry ones of Do'Jahirr."

She laughed lightly and hugged him back before they turned and walked back to the fire.

They all settled back into place, and Shalaree began her story again.

"Once we returned to the Citadel, a giant space station where millions of people from different species lived and worked and where the Citadel Council made their home, we presented our story. They didn't believe a word of it. You see Saren was one of their top Spectres, and I was just a human. They believed his lies and discounted everything we told them. My Captain and the human ambassador told me to find proof. It took a few days, but we did it. The turian that had been assigned to investigate our report knew something was up and was tired of being stonewalled by red tape and had been told to back off. Garrus joined me for various reasons, and we became the best of friends, which surprised many people since our species were at war just 30 years prior.

Then we picked up a krogan. Wrex, a mercenary that looked like a huge frog with a giant hump on his back that could regenerate wounds and had redundant organs and nervous system. Their species are warriors, at least the males are, and are tough bastards in any situation and live for over 1,000 years.

We also rescued a quarian female, Tali, who held the proof we needed of Saren's treachery. From that point, the Council had no option but to strip Saren of his Spectre status and ended up naming me as the first Human Spectre because they couldn't send a fleet to find him. He could have been anywhere, and some areas would view it as an invasion should they have sent a fleet. Anyhow, I became a Spectre and the Captain of the Normandy, with the original Captain stepping down and giving the Normandy to me to use. My crew then set out to hunt down Saren."

They all looked at the horses when one of them let out a loud snort and pawed the ground before quieting down again.

"We picked up another member, Liara. She was an asari. A mono-gendered species that could reproduce by melding with another sentient being. They didn't need to have sex to do it, just needed to read the person's genetic code and then randomize their own to include that data and create a baby that way. It was the strangest thing that I had ever heard of. To me, she looked like a blue skin human female with tentacles instead of hair, but to a different species she would take on attributes that they found to be most attractive. They also lived over a thousand years.

"We went from location to location gathering more information until finally we were contacted by the Council with a mission that concerned Saren. When we went there the geth had set up several guns that would destroy the Normandy should our pilot fly too close. The ground crew took them out and met up with the original team that had been sent to that planet to investigate Saren. They told us about a breeding facility for the krogan which we thought was an impossibility. You see the krogan had been what we called uplifted to fight a war with a species almost two thousand years before that. They weren't ready for that kind of technology and became somewhat uncontrollable; they could also create thousands of kids at a time. So after they won the war, the turians and salarians came up with a biological weapon against them, the genophage. It was thought to be a sterility plague, but one of my later crew members was one of the salarians that had been in charge of modifying the genophage when it was needed. He told me that they worked to keep the population stable, only they couldn't see the big picture. The krogan turned to becoming mercs, and their females would commit suicide when they would lose child after child, year after year for a thousand years. They had lost all hope. It had taken everything I could think of to talk Wrex down from killing me when I told him we had to destroy what he saw as a cure for his people. I'm glad we did because it wasn't a cure, they weren't breeding krogan. They were just cloning them -- making copies-- and turning them into fodder. We blew up the facility and stopped Saren's plans for the krogan; only it cost us. We lost Ashley."

Shalaree stopped to take a long drink of the mead and closed her eyes as she leaned back into Talen's bulk and sighed. "I had to make a choice. Save Ashley and the group of salarians that were pinned down by the geth or protect the bomb that would blow up the facility and the person that guarded it. I chose the bomb. That facility had to be taken down. We had just flown out of the planet's atmosphere when the bomb exploded and destroyed everything there and left nuclear fallout behind. Nothing could have survived. That was the first of so many damn hard decisions I had to make that didn't seem to matter in the long run."

Shalaree stood up and moved away from them and into the dark shadows on the other side of the wagon.

Do'Jahirr poked the fire and looked over at Talen. "Do you believe this story?"

Talen set the bottle down next to him and leaned toward the khajiit and hissed, "I do more than just believe. When she first arrived the Hist connected us, I saw some of her memories. I saw the things she calls Reapers, and her story is true. Do not make the mistake of not believing it."

Do'Jahirr stared into Talen's green eyes and nodded right before Shalaree came back around the wagon adjusting her pants and tying the laces. She stopped long enough beside the wagon to root through the supply box on the side and pull out a pouch that contained the cleaning cloths before she joined the others again.

Shalaree gave a tired sounding sigh as she sat down. "Right after that, the Council decided to ground the Normandy. We finally had all the pieces telling us where Saren was going, what he was up too and that the thing that we thought was just a ship was a Reaper, and for millions of years it had been coming every fifty thousand years to harvest us. Once we reached the point in our species advancement, it would come in and either kill or take every living person and not leave any signs or evidence behind. Then it would go back into hiding and wait. The Council decided after all the proof that I was deluded or tricked by Saren to believe this. Instead, they decided that Saren was after the Citadel. They decided that he was coming to kill them and take over. So they asked me to come in, and after I arrived and gave my report, they locked the ship down. We couldn't leave without committing mutiny.

"My Captain believed me. He helped us, and we broke free and headed for the location we knew Saren was going to. We had to reach that planet and get to the artifact before he did. Only we didn't count on the object actually being a transport relay right onto the Citadel itself. We learned from a programmed virtual intelligence, that the Protheans left behind, that the small creatures that took care of the Citadel were actually there to activate the portal when they received a signal. Only the Protheans found a way to stop that signal. The Conduit-- the portal-- was a backdoor and Saren used it to get onto the Citadel and began to open the relays to let more Reapers come through.

"With the help of a program left by the Protheans, we were able to stop that from happening. Our last battle was horrendous. The Council fled the Citadel and the ship they were on broke down. They sent out a distress call and to help them I had to make a hard call. I had to order the sacrifice of human lives to fight the geth fighters and clear a path for the Council ship to limp away or hold them back and send the fleet into fight Sovereign. I ordered them to save the Council, and it cost almost the entire 5th Fleet. Thousands, upon thousands of lives."

"What happened to Saren?" Talen asked quietly.

"Saren was in the Council chambers. Before that distress call came in, we encountered him. I talked with him, and he started to fight the Reaper's control. You see after the time I met him on Virmire; where the cloning facility was, the Reapers had implanted him. They... they...," she got up and started pacing. "The Reapers replaced his skeleton and put in a full metal one; they implanted him with cybernetics. Wires and chips... he said that they improved him. It let the Reapers control him and twist his thoughts, so he completely believed them. He believed what he had been doing was helping the galaxy and saving countless lives. It wasn't until the very end that I got through to him and he became himself just long enough to realize what had really happened. He... he apologized and thanked me. Then he shot himself in the head."

Talen quickly stood and enfolded her in his arms and held her tightly.

"But that's not the end of it. That bastard Reaper still had control of his body and did something to take it over fully, the organic parts completely disintegrated, and it used Saren's skeleton like a puppet to try and kill us. It wasn't until we finally destroyed that skeleton and the implants that the fleets were able to take down Sovereign and destroy it. They blew it into pieces. One of which came hurtling through the council tower window and almost did what Saren and the geth couldn't do. Kill us."

She turned toward Do'Jahirr, "You would think that after all that the Council would grovel and beg for my forgiveness and believe me, wouldn't you? Only they didn't. They covered it up, put out through the news networks and political channels that I was deluded, and it was a geth attack. The giant sentient ships I had reported were just my imagination. They assigned my crew and me to geth clean up duty in the ass end of the galaxy to keep us out of sight. And the people believed their lies because it was easier for them to do that than to believe that the end was coming. After several months out there clearing out pockets of geth the Normandy was attacked by an unknown ship and destroyed. I ended up spaced --thrown out of the damaged ship into space-- and my armor, that would have normally kept me alive while I waited to be rescued, became damaged. I suffocated to death. That was the first time that I died, but not the last."

Talen placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "I think that is enough for tonight. We will be in this area for a while yet, and I invite you to share our camp while you are here also Do'Jahirr."

The khajiit stood and nodded. "I shall be here a while yet. After I report to the Jarl, I need to hunt for furs and trade goods so I can get better armor and Septims to use for travel. I thank you both for your generous offer of sharing your camp and its comforts." He looked at Shalaree and wiped a furred hand softly against her cheek where a silvery sheen of tear tracks was visible in the firelight before he turned from them and entered the small leather tent and closed the flap.

Talen gave Shalaree a nudge toward the large tent and waited until she started walking toward it before he crouched down and made sure the fire would burn through the night. He gathered up their empty bottles and dinnerware and put them into the proper bins to be taken care of in the morning. He gave one last look around the campsite as he heard Shalaree getting ready to sleep before he ducked into the tent and secured the sailcloth flap.

The inside was nice and warm since was it was set up close enough to the fire to have the air heated. Shalaree sat on the edge of the cot running the silver comb through her hair absentmindedly, and Talen quickly undressed down to his underwear and slipped on a pair of thin linen pants before lifting the edge of the fur covering and sliding beneath. Shalaree blew out the lantern and joined him. He jerked just slightly as she moved closer to him. His arm draped over her, and he wiggled enough to get his tail up onto the cot and under the covers as well as he murmured his goodnight and nuzzled the back of her head. He closed his eyes as she threaded their fingers together and pulled his arms tighter against her.

She slept fitfully that night; Talen would whisper to her and stroke her arm or hair to calm her enough that she would slip back into quieter dreams. Several times he heard the voices of the Hist inside him, and they told him that they too were trying to ease her fears that night. Dawn had barely begun to lighten the sky when she fully awoke and pushed back the fur covering.

He let out a quiet sigh as he rose from his cot as well. "I'll go start a bucket of water heating by the fire and begin to cook breakfast. After you've washed it should be ready to eat, then we can journey into town and look around."

She nodded and picked up her satchel to remove her necessary items before hurrying from the fairly warm tent out into the pre-dawn chill duck behind a rock and relieve herself.

Do'Jahirr opened the tent flap just as Talen placed several logs on the fire and stirred it to life again. He moved closer and held out his hands for a bit of warmth. "Serush Fa was restless last night. I could hear her muffled cries and your whispers."

Talen nodded. "She hasn't spoken much of what happened to her. We're heading to town after we eat. Are you staying to eat as well or are you going to see the Jarl?"

The khajiit stretched and told him he would join him for breakfast and would hunt for fresh meat to bring them as a gift that night.

 

* * *

 

Shalaree checked the lock on the door of their wagon one more time then let Talen pull her up behind him on Thunder as Do'Jahirr agilely climbed into Vapor's saddle, and they rode toward the town. They left the horses at the stable and stopped when the old man that ran the stall that had purchased some of their old items called out to them.

He handed a small handful of Septims to Talen and told him that it was for the fur armor that he had left there the day before when Talen had joined in the fight to defeat the dragon. The old man told him it was the least he could do to buy that armor in exchange for helping the Jarl. Talen thanked the man then they crossed under the outer gate's portcullis and walked over several bridges until they came to the enormous wooden doors that remained closed against intruders. The guards recognized Do'Jahirr and opened the gates for them to enter the city.

Shalaree's eyes were taking in everything. From the woman working the forge near the gate to the loud, smart mouth brat that was yelling at a young boy before running away. The noise was horrendous at first. People filled the path as they stopped to talk to each other or look at the various goods in the stalls that lined the road. They saw everything from cheese vendors to stalls with wobbly looking stacks of magic books.

When the group reached the center of town, Do'Jahirr told them that he needed to go up to the castle and then pointed out the Inn. "There are more stalls up this set of stairs along with a few sights to see. But this is the center of trade and where you can hear tons of rumors and find information. I've eaten a few meals at the Inn, but I recommend you go and see a woman by the name of Elsith. She has a small hut behind the blacksmith; she makes the food for the guards. She sells a lot of it to the Inn but she only charges a portion of the Septims compared to what the Inn does, and it's always hot and tasty, just make sure you bring back her container." Do'Jahirr waved as he turned and started to jog up the long flight of stairs.

"Where to first, Shalaree?" Talen asked as they stood in front of the well. Shalaree looked around then pointed to a shop with a set of scales on the sign. "Let's start with the stores then check the stalls. By the time we're done it will probably be time to eat again, and we can check to see what that Elsith woman has."

They entered a crowded and dark shop with the name "Belethor's General Goods" burned on a plaque above the door.

"Welcome to Belethor's. We have plenty of goods and if you don't see something I might have it in the back," a man said as they shut the door behind them. Shalaree edged her way toward the fireplace to skirt around low tables that held various goods that looked like they might topple over if a strong breeze blew through the store.

They stopped to look at several kettles when the man started to talk once again, "I'm the only real general goods merchant in town, I'll buy almost anything. I'd even buy one of your relatives if you're looking to sell! Ha ha ha... That's a little joke."

Shalaree stiffened then slammed the skillet she had just picked up back on the shelf and pushed past Talen as she stomped toward the door, not even pausing when she bumped into the table and knocked over the set of candlestick holders that were sitting on the edge of it. Talen stooped and picked up the holders and looked them over for damage before placing them back on the table and followed her from the store. He found her leaning against one of the pillars.

"Shalaree? What the hell was all that about?"

She turned to him with a furious look on her face, and her eyes were glowing red. "That bastard in that store... making jokes about buying and selling people... buying relatives. I lost my entire colony of family and friends to fucking slavers, and that slime ball thinks that shit is worth joking about? Is that the kind of thing these people find funny?"

Talen's mouth fell open as she yelled at him.

"No, miss. We don't find things like that funny. Belethor is a sleazy little man. The Breton isn't well liked here so don't pay him any mind. There are several stores and stalls in this town where you can find goods, and they pay better than he does." A man with blonde hair tied back in a pony-tail spoke to her from where he leaned against another pillar and watched the people in the marketplace. "My name's Jon, and I'm sorry to hear that a man like Belethor might have colored your first encounter with the townsfolk."

Talen glanced back at Shalaree before thanking the man for his concern and taking her by the arm to drag her past a guard who tipped his head to them and around the corner of the building.

Talen put his finger under her chin and nudged it upwards so their eyes would meet. "What did you mean by losing your family to slavers? Was this something that happened a lot where you came from?"

She turned her head to the side and looked down at the ground. "I don't want to go into it now. I'm sorry I made a scene, but that bastard just ticked me off, and it was either leave the store or bust everything up... including that man. Then I'd be arrested."

Talen let out a soft snort as his nostril slits opened and closed. "Yes you would have been detained, but that man deserves it. Now if you're ready we can use this door to go into the apothecary shop, maybe they will have something in there to cheer you up."

Thirty minutes later they exited the apothecary and Shalaree shook her head before turning to Talen. "Rattles? Was she seriously trying to tell me that I have a disease?"

Talen started laughing and shook his head. "She was just trying to sell you potions and other ingredients."

Shalaree huffed, "Even after telling her that not only do you cure diseases with magic but I already have a potion that does it too... she still tried to sell me a recipe."

Talen only laughed and pointed to a stall in front of the Inn where an old woman was hawking jewelry. "Let's see what they have."

The sun was beginning to dip behind buildings when they finally finished up their shopping and stall browsing. Talen spent a good hour just looking through the stacks of magic books that a dunmer was selling while Shalaree looked over the offerings of the cheese and apple vendors. Now they stood outside a small hut that a guard told them belonged to Elsith and wondered if they really wanted to eat anything that someone cooked in such a dilapidated building. Talen lifted his hand and rapped on the door.

A short, rotund, cheery-faced woman with her long hair up in a tight bun and wearing a flour-dusted apron answered the door. "Oh hello, I don't remember ever seeing either of you before. Is there something I can help you with?"

Shalaree started to say they must have made a mistake when the scents coming from the food cooking inside finally reached her nose. She gave an appreciative sniff and quickly told her that their friend recommended one of her meals.

The woman grinned and told them today she was serving roasted lamb, potatoes, and grilled leeks with fresh bread and spiced apple pie as the dessert. Talen's stomach gave a loud rumble, and the woman laughed before she boxed up huge portions and handed them over. "That will be five Septims and please return the boxes when you've finished eating."

Shalaree barely waited until the door closed before tugging Talen over to sit in a grassy area near a wooden fence. She pried off the tight-fitting wooden lid and deeply inhaled as Talen rummaged around in his pack for a waterskin.

Shalaree let out a sigh of contentment as she patted her full stomach after she ate every scrap of food that Elsith put into the box. Talen snorted as he popped the last bite of apple pie crust into his mouth and leaned back on his elbows while he chewed.

"So what's next?" Shalaree asked as she placed the box lid back on.

"The notice board. It's too late to head off to that tower today. We'll go just after dawn and depending how much trouble it is; we can also go to clear out that bandit camp just southwest of here. According to that bounty, there's a book that we also have to retrieve from them. So I'm hoping they still have it and not used it to start a campfire."

Shalaree nodded as she grunted and stood up. They dropped off the boxes and thanked Elsith for the fine meal before retracing their steps through the market and up to where the notice board hung on the wall of the Inn. They pulled off several gathering quests, and he tucked the notes into his small diary after writing on the back of the pieces of parchment which hold they belonged to then they started to walk back toward the main gate slowly.

They stopped to look at the wares that the blacksmith had for sale when an orc wearing tight leather armor approached Talen. They spoke in hushed voices and Shalaree looked over to see Talen shaking his head no and pointing to her. Her brows furrowed but she didn't interrupt them. Talen joined her a few minutes later and picked up a gleaming sword to check its balance.

"What was that all about?"

He put the sword back down and pulled her away from the table and toward the gate. "He was from an old order of vampire hunters. They are reopening their fort near Riften and asked if I wanted to join because of the increased vampire activity that Skyrim has been having recently. I told him no, we weren't interested in joining any guild or army. All we wanted was to be left alone so we could travel and find a place to settle down. He gave me a warning and told us to be careful out there; he also gave me the location of the fort if we should change our minds."

They collected their horses and rode back to the camp to get it ready for the night. Talen had just finished stretching the wolf hides from the other day when Do'Jahirr called out as he entered the camp. A raven-haired woman wearing steel armor was following him.

"You'll never believe what happened. The Jarl made me a Thane of Whiterun. Can you believe it? A khajiit is now a Thane of a nord town. Oh, and this is Lydia. She's my housecarl and is sworn to carry my burdens." Do'Jahirr grinned as he pointed to the small leather tent and they watched as the woman stomped over and deposited his pack, cloak, and a leather cuirass inside.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

* * *

 

 

It took a bit of moving things around, but in the end, Shalaree dug out a spare bedroll for Lydia from one of the storage chests and shook her head when the nord woman settled down outside of the small leather tent saying she would stand guard duty over her Thane.

Inside their large tent, Talen chuckled, "That khajiit's head is going to swell with all this 'My Thane' stuff that the woman is spouting. He's almost insufferable as it is and with this new development he's going to get even worse."

"He's only going to be here for a few more days before leaving to go on the journey that the Jarl sent him on. I agreed to finish my story tomorrow night if Lydia goes back to the castle first; the fewer people that hear what I'm saying and knows about me the better," Shalaree said as she readied herself to sleep.

Talen stripped off his leather armors that he wore in camp and slid under the thick fur, bare-ass naked, and folded the other side back leering at Shalaree as she turned around. With Lydia and Do'Jahirr taking guard duty in exchange for their hospitality they wouldn't need to worry about waking up for their shift unless the camp came under attack, and it wouldn't be the first time he fought naked in the middle of the night.

She quirked her eyebrow as she saw the toothy grin and blew out the lantern before slipping between the furs. As soon as she flipped the fur over herself, he snaked an arm around her and yanked her back toward him. She gasped then growled, "Talen" as she felt his hardness poke her backside.

"Shalaree," he growled back at her as he nuzzled the space between her shoulder and neck. "This is going to be one of the last times we have the chance to spend getting to know each other better without worrying so much about attacks. And with all that has happened emotionally with you yesterday and today, I thought maybe I could help you again. I know I don't have the training to fight you as you need, but this is something that I'm good at, and I know I can make you feel like you're boneless and so relaxed from all the pleasure I give you. If you let me, for this one night, I can help you forget the past for a little while."

She let out a snort. "And you being horny has nothing to do with it?"

He slipped a hand under the edge of the new shirt she had purchased and skimmed it along her hip, one scaled finger sliding under the strip of cloth of her small clothes as his fingers spread over her hip and stroked along her thigh. "Hmm... that may also have something to do with it. I'm not ashamed to admit how much I want you and how not having you leaves me hard every night and morning. I don't think it will be much longer before my erection becomes permanent. That will leave me hurting when I put on my armor and possibly even unable to fight; you don't want that. Do you?"

Shalaree snorted again as she let out a sigh and rolled toward him. "I'll try." She stroked his arm then ran a finger along the horn on the side of his head, stopping when she felt the metal cuff wrapped around it. He let out a soft moan when her fingers moved to caress over the soft green feathers on his head and down his neck.

He pulled her closer and gently thrust his erection against her thigh before lifting her leg and placing it on his hip. He gave a louder moan as he felt the heat from her center as he slid along her small clothes. His hand cupped her butt and pulled her even tighter before running his tongue across her lips and licking until she opened for him. His hand glided up under her shirt, and his fingers drew circles along her ribcage drawing a shiver from her. Emboldened, he eased his hand up further until he cupped her breast.

He growled low in his throat as he broke the kiss and licked his way down to the sensitive spot on her neck. His touch was light and practiced as he brushed his thumb across her swollen nipple while he groaned and thrust helplessly against her. At her gasp, he tugged gently on her nipple then moved to shove the shirt up toward her head. While she struggled to remove it, he bent his head to her chest and licked at her nipple until she arched up slightly.

He rolled them over and was careful to keep his weight off her as he licked and nuzzled his way down her abdomen. She grabbed for his horns; he glanced up but couldn't see her face. He grunted then snapped his fingers as he muttered the spell for a magelight then flicked it toward the ceiling. The soft purple-white glow of the orb lit the interior of the tent enough that he could see the hesitancy on her face.

"I know. Trust me, Shalaree."

She held onto his horns for several more seconds as she stared into his eyes. She swallowed then hesitantly let go of the two horns and leaned back on her elbows. His eyes didn't leave hers as he reached for the thin, silver fasteners that held her soft cotton small clothes snugly to her hips. He slipped one black taloned finger against each of them and moved the fabric just enough to loosen it and ease the garment down her body and drop it to the floor of their tent.

His scaled hands gently glided up her smooth skin, the scars of her past battles barely felt under his calloused palms. "Relax, Shalaree. Anytime you want me to stop just say so." He could feel the tension in her thighs; they way they slightly shook. The muscles were tight, letting him know that she wasn't ready for more yet, so he continued to stroke her thighs and place small licks near her knees or on her stomach. When he felt the tension lessen he drew a taloned finger gently up her inner thigh as he licked and circled her nipple with his agile tongue. The smoothed top of his talon nudged at her entrance as he watched her face closely. He saw her chew her bottom lip and moved his hand back to her thigh to continue his gentle strokes. After a few more minutes and not so few kisses he nudged her once again and felt the dewy dampness of her on his finger.

He let out a small moan and slid his finger along her opening again, giving the little nub at the apex a slight tap which caused her arch slightly and draw in a breath. His eyes met hers again as he licked a trail from between her breasts down to her stomach and circled her belly button before dipping inside and continuing his journey further down her body. Very carefully he worked one thick scaled finger into her, his thrusts gentle as he nuzzled her skin between her hip and the top of her thigh. When he heard her gasp and felt a rush of fluid soak his digit, he withdrew and thrust in harder which caused her to arch slightly.

Talen hummed, and his green eyes caught hers as he inhaled her scent. "Mmm, you smell so good, Shalaree." Her lips parted on a gasp as his tongue flicked out and tasted her. "You taste even better."

He kept watching her as his head lowered until she could feel the moist heat of his breath against her then she tried to muffle her moan as his tongue licked along her folds and circled her clit before he withdrew his fingers. She panted then almost screamed as he thrust his tongue deep into her and started to flex it against her walls. She panted, arched, and bit down on her fist to keep herself from loudly moaning as he worked her relentlessly. He felt her start to shudder and withdrew his tongue from her slit and thrust two of his fingers in deep. He used fast, hard strokes as his tongue flicked against her clit.

She couldn't hold it anymore, and Shalaree grabbed for one of his horns to hold him against her as she reached her orgasm; only to grab his feathers in a punishing grip instead, and he let out a loud yelp as she cried out, "Talen!"

Outside Lydia jumped to her feet at the sudden cry of pain and shout that came from the large tent on the other side of the camp. She drew her sword and started for the wagon when Do'Jahirr thrust his head out around the flap and hissed at her to sit back down. His whiskers twitched, and he muttered, "about time" before he laid back down in his bedroll.

Shalaree dropped back on the cot and kept saying she was sorry for pulling out his feathers between her panting breaths. He groaned and gently touched the top of head checking to see how many he was missing. Thankfully, it seemed only two or three were gone, and luckily they would grow back in a short period.

"Accidents happen, Shalaree. Just try not to pluck out all my feathers next time; it itches like crazy as they grow back. But it was worth losing them when you let yourself go," he said to her as he laid next to her and stroked her arm.

He tried not to grin as she twitched when his erection throbbed against her side and she shuddered. He nuzzled her neck and rubbed against her again; a soft moan escaped him. "Shalaree, please," he whispered in her ear as he placed his hand on her hip and rolled her toward him.

He snapped his fingers again and sent another magelight toward the ceiling as he felt her hand touch the thick scales on his chest.

Her fingers were still tentative as she moved them across the heavily scaled muscles of his chest and arm. Her eyes raised to his and she saw his nostril slits flare open and close as she slid her hand back across his chest again then slowly up his neck. She felt the difference in the scaling there. It went from the smooth, thick scales to those smaller and tighter in his neck area. Tiny flaps covered the openings that allowed him to breathe under water; sealed tight to protect the tissue there at the moment. The scales on his face were different still as they were smaller, thinner, and very smooth.

His eyes closed and his breathing started to speed up as she lifted a leg and slid it along his. His mouth opened on a long, loud groan as her moist heat pressed against his erection and she flexed her hips and slid along him. His fingers clutched at her hips as he pressed her more firmly against him and thrust against her faster. Talen grunted and hissed as her hands moved over him, and he felt her giving him feather light kisses against his neck. He rolled so she was laying on her back and he lifted her legs higher around him.

Talen kissed her when he felt her stiffen. His thrusts against her began again, and she started to relax, moaning as his hands cupped her breasts and he tongued her nipple. "Come for me again, Shalaree, let me feel the heat and that creamy wetness of yours soaking my cock as I slide against you," he grunted again and thrust harder. "I want to be so deep inside you, fucking you so hard, and hearing you screaming my name as you come apart around me."

He kept thrusting and murmuring in her ear until she started to shake and muffled her cries in his neck. He groaned and shifted to his knees and held her still. When she opened her eyes and met his green ones, he slid his entire length against her clit, and she shuddered. "You're mine, Shalaree," he said to her as he slid back over her. He snarled down at her as he took his cock in his hand and rubbed the sensitized head against her clit then circled her opening before he pumped his hand hard one more time and came with a hiss and a groan. When his body had emptied itself, he thumped the head of his cock against her clit causing her to gasp before he collapsed next to her.

She rolled toward him and stroked his face as he nuzzled her hair and ran his hands over her back and hip. He whispered he loved her next to her ear as he held her closer to him.

He wiggled his tail under the pelt that had fallen to the floor then lifted it. As he grabbed it and spread it over them, he leaned down one more time and kissed Shalaree before stroking her hair as they relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

Talen woke shortly before dawn and laid there listening to her breathing. He stroked her hair twice before he eased out from under the cover and slipped his pair of linen pants on. He opened the tent flap just enough to slip outside, shuddering from the chill in the air, and tossed a few more logs on the fire.

"No need to ask how your night went, Walks. We heard you two clear over here," Do'Jahirr said as he came from around the backside of the tent carrying several buckets of water.

Talen grinned at him and held his hands out over the fire. "Jealous?"

"Yes, Serush Fa is not like any other female I have ever met. But she is not for me. Several fresh hares are hanging next to the meat rack. Lydia and I will be leaving shortly to take care of a few things the townspeople stopped me for and requested yesterday. She will be returning to the castle this evening, and if everything goes well, we will start out the next morning for the journey to a place called High Hrothgar."

Talen nodded at him and quietly told him that the tent was his to keep, he would need it more than they would. The khajiit stared at him for a moment then bowed his head in acknowledgment. "My thanks."

Talen poured some of the water into the bathing basin and sat it near the fire to heat as he quickly skinned and prepared one of the hares. By the time he had fried it and a few pine thrush eggs they had found, the water was beginning to steam. He carried the basin quickly inside the tent and went back for the plates of food before waking Shalaree.

Talen noted the awkward silence and the way Shalaree didn't look at him or comment more than saying thank you for the food and hot water. She didn't even slap his hand away when he grabbed her ass like he usually did, which would cause her to frown, slap him, then tell him to stop that shit.

She ate and washed quickly then began to pull on the tight leathers she normally wore under the elven armor before he asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing's wrong, not really. I just have a lot to think about right now. Hurry and get suited up, I'll ready the horses."

Talen stood still looking at the tent flap that she had just slipped through for several minutes before he quickly washed and put on his armor.

He found her brushing down Vapor before saddling him and took the brush from her hand. "Shalaree? Did I do something wrong?" he quietly asked as he took over caring for the horse.

"No. Look just let it be for a while. I just need to think. We should go after those bandits and get that book back before they really do use it for starting a fire, the air's rather chilly today."

Talen hesitated then began saddling the horse while she put the equipment away and checked her packs for healing potions and soul gems. When they were ready they told Do'Jahirr they would be back later that night then turned their horses to the west and began a slow trot down the road toward where the bandits were last spotted just a short distance from Whiterun.

 

* * *

 

They laid on their bellies and looked through a patch of scrub bushes at the man chopping wood. "Are you sure this is the right place? I only see the two guys there should have been more if no one else had been able to collect the bounty already," Shepard hissed at Talen.

He whispered next to her ear that it was, then pointed a bit further away where the cave entrance turned a bit, and she saw stacks of barrels, boxes, crates, and bags laying around. "So much stuff for just two people and what are they doing just letting it lay around? They aren't caravan traders, nor are they merchants because they wouldn't be letting this all just sit around. They would be up there and selling it at one of the markets. You only need to pay a set amount in taxes here to open a shop, no permit is required as long as it's only a mat on the ground and not a stall like the ones the farmers use."

"Alright, let's go," she said as she readied her bow. Talen made his way silently down the incline. She let the arrow fly at the same time he jumped down and released the elemental bolt spell he had readied in his hand before finishing his bandit off with a quick slash of his sword.

They were gathering up the equipment from the bandits when she found the book they were looking for. Talen bent down to pick the lock on a chest when she heard voices raised in alarm about intruders.

Four more bandits came charging at them, and Shalaree had to use her staff as a melee weapon while Talen kept her healed and set any of them that got near on fire. Shalaree flew backward over a mound of bags when the remaining bandit hit her with a blast of lightning. Talen let out a fierce snarling hiss and ran for the female bandit while casting elemental bolts at her. The woman stumbled backward as the bolts kept slamming into her once Talen's magic overpowered the barrier she had erected. She screamed just seconds before Talen lashed out and separated her head from her neck.

Talen ran back to Shalaree and scrambled over the pile of bags and pulled off her helmet before casting a Heal Major Wounds spell on her. He cast a few more healing spells then checked her pulse. There was a steady beat, and he sighed, she was unconscious and would wake soon. He picked her up and moved her to lay on the table while he started to gather up the loot.

It was less than an hour before he heard groaning and saw her raise her arm to her head and bend a knee preparing to sit up. He put the lid back on the barrel before walking over to help her. "Easy my love, that was a nasty hit you took." He told her what happened when she inquired.

She sat on the table for a few minutes before hopping off and starting to help gather up things. Shalaree found a large wagon and horse behind an outcropping of rocks. She was hitching the horse to the wagon when Talen approached her.

"What are you doing? We can't take that horse and cart, Shalaree. There is no guarantee that the horse wasn't reported as stolen and we have no friends among the guards to help them look the other way."

She smirked at him then handed him a pouch that she had found beside the body that had been half hidden under a bush. "Check the binding of the journal."

His tail swung then he opened the journal. Talen found a thick envelope tucked inside, and when he read the papers, he shook his head. "Only you could find the breeding and ownership papers for that horse. But we don't need it."

"I know, but we can use the cart to haul all this stuff back to town, and since Do'Jahirr has Lydia tagging along, a wagon would do them a world of good, I know the one we found in Cyrodiil was well worth it. And if he has those papers no one can say he stole the horse."

Talen sighed as he shook his head again and put the journal back in the pouch then helped to guide the half-starved horse back to the cave. He hitched Thunder up to the wagon and let the poor horse graze along lusher grass as they loaded everything into the wagon and in Vapor's packs before slowly making their way back toward their camp. They stopped just long enough for him to trap the cart and for her to fill the water bucket before they headed back out to take care of the Jarl's bounty on another group of bandits that had taken over a nearby tower and were attacking travelers along the road.

It was early afternoon when they made it back to camp, both horses heavily laden down with more loot.

Do'Jahirr and Lydia were sitting near the campfire eating when they arrived. They quickly explained about the horse and cart, and Talen handed Do'Jahirr the pouch with the journal and horse's papers in it, much to the embarrassment of the khajiit who kept trying to refuse the gift. Shalaree finally took the pouch and shoved it at the khajiit with a harsh, "Just take the fucking things, you're going to need it, so stop being a pain in the ass."

The four of them separated the goods; Lydia promised to sell the items for them at the market and slowly drove the wagon toward the town.

After they stored everything they were keeping into the caravan wagon they settled around the fire and Shalaree began the rest of the story about the war she fought in and how she came to be in their world.


	32. Chapter 32

* * *

 

 

"I had just told you about how I died. Well, two years later I woke up to the sound of gunfire and the smell of smoke. I was in pain, and a woman yelled at me to put on my armor because someone attacked the station I was on, and I needed to get out of there. The woman and I made it off the station accompanied by an ex-soldier now mercenary. They told me why they had "rebuilt" me as we flew away from the station before it exploded."

"Rebuilt? Do'Jahirr doesn't understand."

"I am not like the other humans you see here, Do'Jahirr. I am not fully human anymore, but a mix of organic and synthetic; a mix of human and machine."

He reared back and stared at her, not believing her. Talen nodded just slightly when the khajiit's emerald eyes met his.

"You see, for them to bring me back to life they had to rebuild my body, just like someone would reconstruct a home when it burned down. They replaced bits and pieces of me with ones made out of things called cybernetics and function just like a normal body part. My eyes aren't real, my kidneys and liver are synthetic too. Several bones are metal, and I have mesh weaves that encase my bones, muscles, and skin to protect and make them stronger. I have a small device that keeps my heart beating. These people, Cerberus, went to so much trouble to bring me back to life to keep fighting the Reapers. They were the only group that believed the Reapers were real and coming. They were sick, twisted people who did horrendous things to other species and humans alike, but no one else was taking the mass disappearances of human settlements seriously. They provided me with a ship, dossiers on the best group of mercenaries, biotics, scientists, thieves," she paused for a moment as her voice became strained, "and the best assassin in the entire galaxy. It was up to me to find and recruit them. To get them working like a well-oiled machine and prepare to go after the ones that were stealing the humans. They were known as Collectors, and they were the same beings that destroyed the original Normandy and spaced me."

She quickly told them of everything she went through to recruit the people then took a break so they could eat.

"Over a period of six months we worked, ate, and lived together on my ship. And over that time they began to trust and work together. There were still issues because of the pasts that some of the people had intertwined with the others and old hurts couldn't be put aside so quickly. During that time I became close to Thane, the greatest drell assassin in the galaxy. He knew so many ways to kill people it wasn't even funny, but he was also a poet, a philosopher, a mentor, and had a gentle soul that he thought lost when enemies brutally murdered his wife. The ones that did it were so afraid of him that they wouldn't go after him; they went after his wife and young child instead. His son survived because he was at school when the attack happened. He came home to find her.

"We spoke often and learned more about each other. We grew closer and realized our feelings went deeper than friendship; it slowly became love. But there was one thing that was always in the back of our minds. Thane was dying. He had a disease that affected only his people, and no one had come up with a cure. We didn't have potions or magical fixes like you do here. It took science and time, so much time, and his people were few and running out of time."

She shifted and picked up a long stick and began poking the fire as Talen brushed a hand over her hair and Do'Jahirr quietly waited for her to be ready to continue.

"We were betrayed more than once by Cerberus, and each time the bastard that ran it would come up with a shitty reason that he did it; whether setting us up on a so called disabled Collector ship or leaking info to them about locations of my old shipmates and having them attack the entire colony. Finally, we had our ship outfitted the best we could and the best gear we could afford. Cerberus told me that to go through the relay, sort of like a magic traveling device, to get to the Collector base and stop them, I would need a particular chip. And they just happened to know of a defunct Reaper that had one. Of course, there was a catch. Cerberus had a team there already and had lost contact with them.

"When we got there we found that the entire team indoctrinated, --brainwashed-- into believing the Reaper was a dead god. They had killed several of their team members and put them up like sacrifices. The rest had been changed into abominations to serve the Reapers. It took everything we had to make it through there and escape before the Reaper fell into the gravitational field of a brown giant and crushed as easily as we would break an egg if we squeezed it. Not only did we find that chip but we picked up an additional crew member." She smiled as she remembered her and the team's reaction to Legion. "A geth unit was onboard and was killing the Reaper units."

"But you said geth were helping the Reapers," Do'Jahirr said.

She nodded and gave a slight smile. "It was Legion; the geth I told you about earlier. He explained to us the faction split after we pulled him off the Reaper and I reactivated him." The smile slid off her face as she remembered choosing to destroy the heretics instead of taking the chance of rewriting them. "He needed my help, and we took care of his issue before letting the techs install that chip into the Normandy. It was going to take several days for the engineers to install and test it, so I took the entire ground team with me planet-side for training."

She stood up and moved to the stack of firewood, chose a piece and brought it back to drop into the fire. She watched the flames lick at the fresh piece of wood before it caught and began to burn. "That was when the Collectors attacked our ship and took or killed the rest of my crew, all except for my pilot. Joker was the only one to have escaped. He unshackled EDI, our ship's artificial intelligence, and together they cleared the ship of the remaining Collectors and saved the Normandy. Before you ask, an artificial intelligence is a program that has become self-aware, no longer just doing what it was programmed to do but beginning to learn for itself and question the things around it. EDI was part of the ship, but she was alive also. She saved Joker that day and proved to be a valuable crew member to us."

Shepard sat back down and stared for a moment into the fire, "Our goal was clear. Go through the relay, kick Collector ass, and get our people back." Shepard drew up her legs and laid her head on her knees, the two men saw a look of remembrance on her face and her lips curved into a sultry grin before she blinked and cleared her throat.

"Anyhow, we did just that. There were so many Collectors and Reaper troops on that base. It was a combined effort for everyone to get the ship crew out of there and fix the Normandy enough so that when Thane, another team member, and me returned from setting the charges to destroy the base, the ship could fly and get us the hell out of there and back through the relay. We didn't count on finding out exactly what the Collectors were doing with the people, though. They were creating a human shaped Reaper. The other ones that we saw looked like giant squids; great sea beasts, diamond shaped with long tentacles for arms. This one looked like a giant metal human. They were liquefying humans and using the resulting DNA sludge as a sort of blood for it; to give it a human form. It was an absolute horror. And it had to be destroyed.

"We did it. Thane waited until the metal covering glass tubes would slide back and then he shot the tubes. Perfect shots; all four tubes shattered within seconds, and the abomination fell. We gathered up the dropped ammo from the Collectors and looked over the side to make sure the thing had fell then moved back to set the explosives. Once more the head of Cerberus contacted me and showed me just what kind of person the guy was. He wanted us to hand the base over to him. All that Reaper tech, he wanted us to give him something to use to "advance humanity." There was no way in hell I would give him that stuff. I saw over the years what Cerberus did while experimenting to "advance humanity" and it disgusted me. I told him no, Thane cut the connection and I jammed so many explosives into a service port in a console that I could; I was barely able to get the panel to shut and lower again. We had just stood up to leave when a god-awful noise made us look back. The Human-Reaper construct was active; we didn't kill it as we thought, so had to fight it again. It was a sheer pain in the ass because it was huge, powerful, and only susceptible to damage in two locations; not to mention having to deal with the thing popping up and down from cover and even more Collectors attacking us.

"Finally, it began to fall again, but when it did so, the hand of it knocked into the platform, we stood on and sent us all teetering. Thane fell, in a brief second I saw him sliding past me toward the edge of the platform. His hand was outstretched trying to grab onto something to stop or slow himself down; there was nothing. I flung myself after him. If I couldn't catch him then I would go with him, he wouldn't be alone. The others were already on the ship, and all Samara had to do was to run, and she'd make it out of there too. His fingers found purchase on the very edge, and I grabbed him and pulled him up and into my arms.

"The platform rolled under us and we fell backward and rolled away from the edge. We were unconscious for a moment and when I woke I shook the others awake, and we began to run with a swarm of Collectors behind us, the base falling apart, and the countdown of those explosives all pushing us. We made it and flew out of there just as the bombs went off. The shockwave flung us toward the relay and through it. We did it."

"Divines, Serush-Fa, what you have been through; I thought the dragons were bad but what you have described..." Do'Jahirr glanced between the two sitting opposite him and wondered just what the argonian did to have been blessed with such a woman.

"We survived, and we made it. Thane and I began to plan our vacation after we repaired the Normandy. We had so little time, and we wanted to fill it with memories of something other than fighting. Two days later a call came in from the military that I once served, the one that had turned their backs on me when they thought I was working for Cerberus. The Admiral needed a personal favor. That favor cost me six months of my life and all those months away from my dying lover with no contact. They wouldn't let us talk, wouldn't let us see each other and Thane dared not get near the headquarters. No one may have known who he was on the street, but the moment he tried to enter the HQ, they would have had him arrested. We couldn't take that chance. I spent those six months arguing and under house arrest, the Alliance just wouldn't listen to my warnings. Then the Reapers came, and they asked me what they could do." She snorted and shook her head. "Six months of wasted time that I bought them that had cost me a huge chunk of my soul in more ways than one... and it was only when the Reapers landed and began to destroy our world did they believe me."

"I barely escaped my planet. The Normandy and a handful of the crew made it off there alive so we could find help from the Council. Things just kept getting worse as the Councilors were fully prepared to sacrifice Earth, all of humanity, in their efforts to protect their own borders instead of banding together to fight the enemy as one. And it cost them. Several weeks after Earth had been hit I got a message. It was Thane; he was alive. I found him, he was so ill and in so much pain, but as usual, he hid it with the outward appearance of stoic calm. We spoke, he told me he would be unable to accompany me on the Normandy, his medical condition had grown so severe his treatments now had to be taken daily. We didn't want to admit it, but we both knew we were out of time. The Alliance, the Reapers, hell even the Council with their stupid idiotic requests that had kept me away from him, stole that precious time from us.

"I had to leave the next morning, I spent the rest of the night with him in the hospital and slipped out a few hours before it was time to depart. I had no idea that it would be the last time I slept in his arms... that it would be the last time that I really slept at all. I found the help that two of the races demanded before they would consent to help Earth, finally getting through to them that no one will survive the fight on their own. We were on the way back to the Council when Joker called me up to the bridge. No one was answering his hails. Then we heard Thane on the emergency channel, Cerberus had attacked the Citadel and they were killing the aliens. The Illusive man had begun to implant his people with Reaper tech, creating husks and so... so much viler and heinous things. He had become indoctrinated, and the Reapers were using him to further their own goal. Anyway, Thane told us that they had C-Sec headquarters, sort of like the guard station and without us controlling that station we couldn't do anything. So that was our new goal, get to the C-Sec headquarters, get control of it, and rid the Citadel of Cerberus. Thane was trying to help us... the crazy bastard was trying to make it to C-Sec in his condition. He could barely breathe, could barely run, but he was determined to help us.

"We made it, cleared the C-Sec of Cerberus, and the head of the unit regained control. He told us about one of the council members meeting with the director and that only happened when something big was about to happen. We found the council member. We also found the assassin that Cerberus sent to kill him. He was second rate, no doubt about it, but he was also enhanced with advanced technology which gave him stronger barriers and made him quicker. Thane was there, however, and even in his weak condition beat the bastard. Then his body failed him, and that Cerberus bastard ran him through with a sword. If Thane were healthy, he wouldn't have even broken a sweat while beating that son of a bitch to death."

Talen pulled her back into her arms to calm her shaking body. He could feel the rage coming off of her in waves. He remembered the images that the Hist showed him.

"That fucking bastard had the nerve to smirk as Thane lay on the ground with his blood pouring from the wound. Then the bastard turned and ran. I wanted to stay with Thane, but he bade me go and do my duty... and I did. The assassin got away, but we found the human councilor who had been working with Cerberus, and I shot him while protecting the rest of the council and having to deal with a jackass who used to be a crew member and friend. I didn't have time to stand around and hold their hands while they finally figured things out. I had to get to the hospital. I barely made it. Thane's son was there, and the doctor informed me that Thane wouldn't last much longer. Between the disease and the sheer loss of blood..."

She began to rock back and forth, and Talen stroked her hair and murmured comforting words to her. A deep purr of comfort came from Do'Jahirr as he stood up and moved to her other side. "Thane had written a prayer, he was a very religious man, and his son and I read it together as the light left my love's eyes and his body released his last breath. I asked his son about the prayer and why Thane worded it so strangely; he told me the prayer wasn't for Thane, as he had already asked for forgiveness for his sins. It had been for me." Tears started streaming down her face as her throat began to close up and her voice cracked with emotion.

“ _Kalahira, this one's heart is pure, but beset by wickedness and contention._  
 _Guide this one to where the traveler never tires; the lover never leaves, the hungry never starve._  
 _Guide this one, Kalahira, and she will be a companion to you as she was to me.”_

"I felt dead inside. I felt... nothing. I no longer cared what happened around me. All I cared about was finding that bastard that killed Thane. All I cared about was killing him in the most painful way possible and then ridding the galaxy of the Reapers and joining Thane on Kalahira's shores. Just as he promised; he said he would wait for me there. We would be together for all eternity then, in a land of peace and tranquility with no wars, no pain, and no hardships. We could love and be together."

She brushed away the warm wetness soaking her cheeks then finished the story.

"I fell into what the drell call Battle-Sleep. No emotions, nothing to interfere with the completion of my assignment. I functioned but was already dead. I knew I wasn't meant to survive the war and didn't want to. What I do remember is not one... not a single member of my crew, no matter how long we had known each other, offered their condolences. It was as if Thane had never existed for them as if he hadn't fought and bled by their side. I was so angry with all of them. I didn't care about their petty needs and wants. After several more months and uncountable battles we found the bastard, but the moment we attacked the base, the Reapers would know and redouble their efforts on Earth. So I put in for repairs and to give the crew a few days before the final battles. Let them have fun, let them blow off steam while I sat and indulged in memories of my love. We hadn't counted on Cerberus making a clone of me, a duplicate, and having it wreak havoc on the Citadel by pretending to be me. The bitch tried to steal my ship. I killed her; stomped on her fingers as she held on to the edge of the cargo bay doors while the ship was in flight high above the buildings of the Citadel, and I watched her fall. The woman who was behind all this thought to escape me. I shot her in the back as she tried to run, then told the crew to clean up the mess before I walked out.

"Kolyat, Thane's son, contacted me a few hours later and asked to hold a memorial service for Thane. I agreed. A handful of people showed up and said empty words, those same people hadn't cared when he died, and I knew they didn't really care now. Except for his son and me. Kolyat gave me several messages from Thane that he had found copies of that Thane sent and the Alliance had kept from me. So I had a few more memories to hold on to.

"Joker talked me into a party. I gave in and let them have it. The following day we gathered outside the ship, and after everyone else had walked away, I smelled the scent of leather, exotic spices, and gun oil. Thane was there with me. He knew I would be joining him soon." She smiled softly and breathed deeply; she tried to remember the exact scent, but her memory had faded. The comforting smell so weak. She frowned when it seemed to have been replaced by the smell of herbs, woodsmoke, and the scent of ozone just before a thunderstorm. She glanced back at Talen then turned to look into the fire.

"We decimated that Cerberus base, and when that poor excuse for an assassin tried to sneak up on me after I beat the hell out of him; I let him. I let him get closer and closer until he raised the same sword he had stabbed my love with and I whirled on him. I broke that damn sword in two with my hand then shoved my own thick, red-hot blade deep into his gut and hissed at him that it was for what he did to Thane. I stood over the bastard as he fell to his knees and died at my feet. One of my goals was now complete. I still had the biggest one to get through."

She stopped talking for a few minutes to get the rest of her emotions under control and gave Do'Jahirr a small smile as he fished one of the bottles of mead out of a bucket of cold water and handed it to her.

"The Reapers were destroying Earth. They laid the once great cities to waste and killed whoever they couldn't or wouldn't harvest. Our team fought our way to a beam of white light that connected Earth to the Citadel. The Reapers were using that beam to transport humans to the Citadel for whatever reason. I found out a short while later when I finally made it and even though I should have already been dead when I got hit by a blast from a giant Reaper weapon, I stumbled into that light. There were piles of bodies everywhere, I followed a path and found out why the head of Cerberus hadn't been on the base. He was there, thinking that he could control the Reapers, take them over and use them. The Illusive Man's body had already started to become a husk, and his will wasn't his own; he just couldn't see it. I helped him to see; just like I did Saren, and he shot himself.

"I was bleeding out at this point from a gunshot wound that I didn't recall getting; I still don't remember getting shot. I was almost dead when I heard someone calling my name. The weapon that we had built to destroy the Reapers hadn't activated, and no one could figure out why. I crawled to the control panel and must have passed out. When I awoke, there was a hologram of a child in front of me. I knew it wasn't really a child, somehow the Reapers or whatever it was, had gotten into my head and pulled the memory of the child I had seen playing from my prison window out, and used its likeness. It told me of three choices; each one was worse than the one before. I could destroy them, in the process destroy not only myself but all of the synthetics. Then there was the control option; in effect die and give up my consciousness to become the Reaper Queen and control them. Then the last option that it gave me was to force synthesis on every being in the galaxy. It made it sound like the best choice, merge the organics and synthetics into one life form, it would create an everlasting peace it said. There is no such thing as eternal peace when you're alive. There are always people that want more and would do anything to take it, that had nothing to do with being an organic or synthetic and fights and war would break out no matter what. Over rights of colonization, over religious differences, over the smallest thing. And what about the ones that didn't want to be altered in any way? To take away their choices and to play God? No. There would be stagnation because according to the hologram it would be the final evolution, what everyone supposedly was striving for. There would be no growth; no further evolution, nothing left to strive for. I saw the trap that lay in that direction. I chose the one that, for me, was the only real choice. I opted to destroy them, and in my heart, I knew it was right. This being... could manipulate with words, it had been doing so for millions of years. Why in the hell would I believe that it was telling the truth at that moment?"

She put the empty bottle beside her on the rough ground and leaned back against Talen. "I moved up that ramp and began firing at the conduit. My thoughts flooded with the people I lost, and Thane's image and his promise to me were what I held onto as I fired that last round into the canister and it exploded; engulfing me in a fire. Then I smelled the sea, heard the waves, and felt someone near me. My eyes saw a green scaled hand, and I knew I made it. Only thing was I ended up on a different shore, and the green hand belonged to Talen."

Talen gave a soft snort. "I reached for her to turn her over and make sure she was alive and she threw me face first into the sand."

All three chuckled, and the air around them lightened.

"We got off to a very rocky start. Shalaree couldn't understand our language, not even the common one. She was naked, wary, and dumped in the middle of a whole different world. It took a few days to get her to the Hist where we learned how she came to be here and why. Thane had wished for her happiness. Apparently, when he had made her that promise he didn't know that she couldn't go to his afterlife. Sithis heard him and granted his wish, bringing her here, and the Hist mated us. Although, I'm still having difficulty getting her to agree to marry me. Make no mistake, khajiit, she is mine so wipe that smile off your face."

Do'Jahirr tried to look innocent as he flipped his dreadlocks behind his shoulder and let out a grunt.

"We've been together since and I've been trying to come to terms with everything, it has just been difficult for me. But I'm getting there. Anyhow, that is the story of what brought me to this world. It's late, and I'm tired. I'll pack you a sack with items, and we'll help you load the food and water barrels into your wagon when Lydia returns in the morning." She stood up and stretched as did the others.

Talen was adding a few thick logs of wood to the fire to help hold off the chill of the coming night when he heard Do'Jahirr call out for Shalaree to wait.

The khajiit ducked into the tent and returned a moment later with a leather-wrapped package in his hands. "This is for you Serush Fa, for everything you have given to me and for sharing your tale. May it help you in the coming fights until you finally find the peace your soul craves."

Shalaree took the package and unwrapped it. Inside lay a pair of metal claws like the ones Do'Jahirr had. These however shown with a greenish hue and were razor sharp.

"The Jarl here told me to chose something from his armory. I selected an Orcish Greatsword and immediately dragged it clear to the blacksmith and melted it down to make those and a pair for myself, with just enough of the metal left over to sharpen and refine them. The claws are my best work yet, Serush Fa and it is my honor to present a pair to you."

She carefully ran her hands over the green claws and the buttery soft leather before she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He grinned and hugged her back, a huge smirk on his face as he saw the way Talen stood up and wreathed his hand in flame before the argonian smiled and walked toward the wagon.

Do'Jahirr placed his hands on her shoulders and made sure he had her full attention. "He is a good man, Serush Fa, and will make you a happy woman if you let him. He is a very lucky argonian." He cupped the side of her face. "If you ever need me send a courier, I will come immediately to your aid. May you walk on warm sands." He stroked her flame red hair once then smiled and turned to enter his tent.


	33. Chapter 33

* * *

 

 

The next morning dawned cold and clear. Lydia slowly drove the small wagon into the camp, and the group saw several barrels and sacks lined along the sides. When the woman hopped down, she told them she stopped at the livery and bought sacks of sweetened oats and carrots for the horse, and several empty waterproof barrels and crates for the Thane's goods. While Shalaree and Lydia loaded the rest of the bags, two bedrolls, a spare cooking pot, and the small tent into the back of the cart, Talen and Do'Jahirr spread out their maps and compared known locations. Once they were all marked and Do'Jahirr showed them the area he was going to, they said their goodbyes. Shalaree hugging him once more and he whispers his reminder that if he was needed to send a courier to him and he and Lydia climbed on the wagon. Shalaree and Talen watched as they slowly rumbled down the road toward the crossroads.

"What did you want to do first? Go and check out that farm Do'Jahirr told us about or turn in our bounties?" Talen asked her.

"Let's check the farm, but you should know, I don't know how to milk a cow and never even owned a live houseplant, let alone a garden," Shalaree said as she tightened the saddle's girth and loaded several empty sacks into the saddle bags.

Talen shrugged, "Neither have I, but we could always learn or hire someone."

Twenty minutes later they turned up the dirt track that Do'Jahirr had pointed out to them. After passing by a large windmill, they saw a For Sale sign swinging in the breeze.

They dismounted and stood in front of it. Talen reached out and gripped the sign and read it, "For Sale. Fully functional dairy and cheese farm. Direct inquiries to Skyrim Real Estate and Courier Service."

He let go of it, and it started to swing again as he scratched the top of his head, "We'll need to find one of those offices, I guess." They remounted and continued up the track, within another few minutes they saw several heads of cattle and goats wandering around. A few more minutes and they caught their first sight of the two-story farmhouse and glimpsed the farm's outbuildings just slightly further up the track.

They started to dismount when they heard the creak of a door opening and looked up to see an older woman slowly making her way down the short flight of steps from the house to a sitting area; complete with a table and chairs and flower pots full of blooming flowers. They stood at the bottom of the stairs heading up to the area as the woman looked down on them.

Shalaree noticed the woman's wrinkled skin and slightly worn homespun cloth dress that most of the local farmers also wore.

"What can I do for you folks?" the older woman asked in a wavering voice.

"We thought we would take a look around. We're interested in settling down in Skyrim," Talen said as the woman looked them over.

"Well, the real estate service can tell you everything. You get the house, outbuildings, and animals. The dairy part of the farm is in one of those buildings, and the equipment comes with the place. You need to talk with the agent if you want to see inside," the older woman said.

Shalaree took a step forward and asked where the office was. The woman pointed back down the road and said, "Go past the meadery then left over the small bridge. Pass by several large farms and the building is on the left. Can't miss it; they've got a big sign out front."

Talen and Shalaree thanked her for her time and remounted the horses, turning them around and slowly making their way back to the main road.

"Should we check out the real estate office or go to town?" Talen quietly asked after they reached the road.

Shalaree looked over at him and noticed he seemed distracted again. "The office first, that way if there is something in town we can take a look at it, and start to get a feel for what the prices are like. Now, what is wrong? You seemed to want to view the houses and now all of a sudden you are distracted and quiet."

"I was just thinking about how long all this is going to take, and what it means for you and me. If the prices are anything like the ones in Cyrodiil, it may take us another year before we can afford something. I- Honestly, I don't think I can wait yet another year, especially after the other night. I want to marry you, not just to fulfill the decree from the Hist, but because I want to be your husband. I want everything that comes with it, but without being able to provide for you I can't honorably ask it of you, and it bothers the hell out of me."

Shalaree tried not to sigh again. She should have realized he wouldn't just be satisfied with the pseudo-sex they had but would want it all.

"It's too soon to start worrying over that. From what I have overheard and the map you have, Skyrim is a huge place. And if we can't find something here, I'm sure there are other places that we can. I won't rush into anything though, Talen. When we are ready, then we'll decide where actually to settle. I want to see this place first." She clicked her tongue and started her horse trotting down the road toward the meadery, a moment later Talen caught up to her.

 

* * *

 

They entered the large single level building that looked like another farmhouse from the outside and would have probably been mistaken for one if it hadn't been for the rather large business sign that hung on a thick wooden pole next to the road.

"Welcome to Skyrim Real Estate and Courier Services. If you're here to hire one of our quick and reliable couriers, please use the door on your left. If our real estate services are what you're interested in, our most current listings for the Whiterun area are posted on the board to your right. We do offer listings from other holds throughout Skyrim, but they may not be current as sales and listings can occur during the time our courier is traveling."

Shalaree looked toward where the voice came from and saw a small elven woman with large green eyes and slightly tanned skin standing behind a bar that had baskets holding rolls of parchment, quills and inkpots, and a pile of leather satchels on it. Her features were sharp and defined, and she was quite lovely. Shalaree also noticed the toothsome smile that the woman gave was directed toward Talen who had just shut the door behind them. Shalaree gave a soft snort and headed for the large notice board that had several papers tacked to it.

Talen nodded toward the Bosmer elf and headed over to Shalaree, the elf's soft huff of annoyance had been heard and ignored. He wrapped one arm around Shalaree's waist and pointed to the listing for the dairy farm then began to read it softly.

"Working goat and cow dairy farm for sale. Comes with all equipment to get your dairy and cheese farm up and running quickly, the workers quarters are situated in the building on the upper level and includes four sturdy beds, a table with two bench seats and a small fireplace with cooking area. Pricing includes a dozen healthy and heavily producing dairy cows and six goats. A comfortable stable for the animals and your horses is also included and is sturdily built to withstand the snow and the wind.

The wonderfully large, two-story farmhouse has a brand new thatched roof and has recently had new glass panes installed in the windows. The upper floor consists of the master bedroom with an outstanding view of the pasture and the mountains. The second floor has been designed to hold treasures found in your adventures once you're ready to settle, or easily removed for additional space for your storage needs.

"The first floor is the living area. A large firepit surrounded by ample seating for the family will keep you warm and toasty even on the coldest Skyrim night. Bookshelves line the walls to hold your collection. The dining area has a large, hand-hewn table with bench and individual seats, cozy enough for a family night or enough seating for a social get together with your friends. The kitchen is a marvel with a large stone oven that can hold an entire goat leg on its roasting spit and has a smaller area to make bread and rolls in. The open cooking surface slides into place above the flames and heats uniformly for those that enjoy simmering stews and soups. The kitchen even has an above ground cold storage area and many counters and cupboards to hold your items. The first floor also has the second bedroom. An indoor bathing chamber is tucked away and comes with a small brazier to heat water, and a copper hip bath brought all the way from the Imperial City is included. Outside you will find a flat area that always has a gentle breeze blowing and is perfect for your laundry care needs. The last owner also installed a forge outside and added a deep well that offers clear, clean water. Direct inquiries to the front counter."

"This would be perfect Shalaree; we can hire one or two people to take care of the dairy side of it until we learn how."

Talen gave a light squeeze to Shalaree's leather covered waist and smiled down at her until he noticed the frown on her face. She tapped the red numbers, and he hissed. "150,000 Septims..."

She pointed to another listing for a Ciderhouse that was for sale. They quickly read that it had two bedrooms and a storage area on the upper floor, but the first floor was the business part of the Ciderhouse and also a large kitchen. Talen shook his head. "No, I wouldn't like living above what is essentially a distillery and tavern. Plus they want 70,000 Septims for it."

He stroked the feathers on his head and began to read another listing for home and business combination. This one was also a two-story farmhouse, but the living quarters consisted of an open space in the basement with one bed, a bookshelf, a storage container, and a fireplace that also served as a cooking station. The entire first floor was set up as a storefront for a general goods seller. "Well, we could buy it, hire someone to run it and live there, and sell the crap we loot from our bounties to buy an actual house later." Shalaree snorted and elbowed him then pointed to the 50,000 Septim price tag. He shook his head and dragged her along beside him as he skimmed over the postings until he found a few that were in town and listed as homes.

They looked over at the woman as she cleared her throat, "If you find anything you're interested in or would like more information on please let me know."

Shalaree raised an eyebrow and nodded as the woman continued to smile toward Talen. He nodded and gave a non-committal, "sure" as his answer then turned back toward the listings.

"Maybe you should flirt with her; she might be able to get us a better deal."

Talen looked down at Shalaree and grimaced. "Not funny, Shalaree."

They read a few more then found one that looked promising. A small two bedroom home in town. It didn't have the extra storage or amenities like a forge, but neither one cared about that anyway. The listing was rather short on details, and Talen dug into his hip pouch to remove his small journal and jotted down the location of the home. He gave a hum of confusion when he noticed there was no posted price on the listing. "How much is this small house in town on Greenway Road?"

The elven female frowned and approached them. Talen showed her the one he asked about, and she cleared her throat again before hurrying back to the counter and opened a large bookkeeping journal and quickly ran her finger down the rows of listings and turning to the entry's page. "You'll need to make an appointment to see that one and then make an offer for it. The previous owner is deceased, and the title of the home went to the Jarl's holding. We can show you inside of the home, but the rest of the transaction has to go through the Jarl's steward in Dragon Reach Keep. Other than what is written on the listing we know nothing more about the property."

Talen looked back at Shalaree then at the listing. "Two bedrooms, two story home on Greenway Road. Sold as is. Located conveniently to the market square and Temple of Kynareth. Won't hurt to go and look at it while we're in town later. It may be what we are looking for."

The woman told them if they wanted to see inside to come back and let her know. Since the home wasn't occupied, she could get them in to see it quickly. "My family runs this business throughout Skyrim. It's very lucrative. I run this one along with my younger brother who handles the courier part of the business, we're very well off, and I have a wonderful home nearby. Very cozy and comfortable, but it does get lonely sometimes," she said as she stared at Talen.

He barely restrained the snarl that came to his lips, "Uh-huh, nice to know. I hope you find someone else to share it with. My wife and I are also looking for a nice cozy home, but we aren't sure that we want to settle in this area yet."

The squeak of the word "wife" came from the woman whose ears began to redden in embarrassment. Shalaree couldn't help but give a feral grin.

Talen gripped Shalaree's hand and moved to the smaller wall that held the listings for the other holds, all separated and color coded according to a small sign with colors and Hold names. Shalaree blinked at the cost of the homes in a town called Solitude. Talen whispered it was the Imperial Capital City in Skyrim and that was why the prices were outrageous.

"Look for the listings in Winterhold where the apothecary from the guild told me the College was. Let's look at those then head into town."

Talen nodded, and they noticed that there was hardly anything available. "Hmm, maybe we should wait until we get there. The only listings are for a one room house on the outskirts and a small house in town. There has to be more there or else it's a prime area and no one is selling."

Shalaree nodded, and they headed for the door. The woman gave a muttered "come back again" just before the door closed.

"I can't take you anywhere without a woman drooling over you. Do all argonians affect women like that?" Shalaree said, and Talen snarled as he swung his leg over the side of the horse and adjusted his tail along the back of the saddle. He went to say something to her when he noticed the way her eyes were twinkling at him and the smile that was threatening to break through.

"Nope. Just me. I've got all the charm and women just know that I am a sex god." He gave her a small nod and grinned when he heard her begin to laugh.

 

* * *

 

Their first stop was to the notice board to see if anyone posted a new listing and then to see the home on Greenway Road before making the arduous journey up the numerous stone steps that lead up to the castle.

They wandered down the short road on the west side of town past the temple and across the stone bridge and continued until the reached the end of the road and the last house before the defensive wall of the town. The house looked like all the other ones around it with its architecture of massive wooden beams and gray stones. The roof consisted of wooden scale-like tiles overlapping each other, except in places where they were missing. And it was missing several.

"That roof is a mess. That means the floors inside, and the ceiling beams are probably starting to rot, depending on how long it's been like that," Talen muttered, and they moved around the outside of the building, noting several gaps between the beams and the stone walls. "That would need to be fixed by a mason, or it would be damp and cold as hell."

He tapped on one of the shuttered windows and frowned. "If we decide to look inside we'll need to check for window glass. Some of these Nords only use inside and outside shutters over the openings."

After they had made notes on what they found outside that would need to be fixed before they even moved in, they headed back toward the center of town. "How much do you think it would cost to fix?" Shalaree asked as they stood at the bottom of the stairs. He shrugged and started up the stone staircase with her close behind him.

 

* * *

 

When they entered the keep, they felt the mix of a cold breeze that had the banners that hung from the ceiling beams rippling and the heat that came from a great number of braziers located around the area. As they walked up the short flight of steps toward what Shalaree assumed was the combined eating area and the Jarl's throne room she winced at the huge bonfire that blazed in the middle of the chamber and where apparently the children liked to run around. She could only hope that none of them tripped and fell into the fire.

The dark elf that they had met when the dragon attacked the watchtower stopped them as they approached.

"What is your business here?" She asked as she looked them both over and slid the sword she had drawn back into the scabbard as recognition entered her eyes.

"We're here to see the steward. We have bounties to collect on and have questions about a property in town, we were told to speak with him or her about it," Talen replied cooly. He saw the way the elf had hesitated right before the dragon attacked because she didn't want her authority over the guards questioned nor had she liked the way the guards had looked at Do'Jahirr and both of them after the khajiit had caused a stir with glowing and floating after the fight.

The elf pointed to a balding man that stood talking with the blonde nord of a man that had to be the Jarl of Whiterun. Talen and Shalaree waited patiently for him; a guard would approach them once in a while to ask how they knew the Dragonborn or how they had heard of their fight with the dragon.

The balding man approached them after the elf had whispered he had someone waiting for him. "What can I do for you folks?" Talen showed him the bounty letters and what proof they had brought with them of their completion. He handed the book they had retrieved over and watched as the steward looked it over carefully and signed the papers approving payment.

"We have one more piece of business. The home on Greenway Road, we understand it is for sale. We have looked it over on the outside and noted the repairs needed; we would like to take a look inside before considering offering for it. What more can you tell us about it?"

The steward put his hands behind his back before saying, "The home has been empty for six months after the previous owner died. Two small bedrooms make up the upper floor; it has a small kitchen with a cooking area. Another fireplace is in the sitting area. If you want to see inside the only key is with the Skyrim Real Estate office. I'll entertain all offers, and if the one you give me is acceptable, I'll notify you. We require payment in full at that time. You can move in right afterward."

"Six months? No one has offered for it?" Shalaree said.

The man looked at her, "No one submitted an acceptable offer." Shalaree raised her eyebrow at that and slowly nodded. The bastard wanted more than what the wreck of a home was worth.

They started to turn away when the blonde nord lounging on the throne called out to them. "Irileth tells me two joined in the fight against the dragon with her."

Talen didn't say anything, and Shalaree's mouth thinned, and the corners whitened. "More along the lines of responding to a friend who asked for help against the beast."

The nord frowned slightly and stroked his long, braided beard. "I see. My guards said that you showed skill in the fight and with your direction of the battle helped several of them to stay alive, since what you told them went against what they would otherwise have done. Such as running like rabbits all over the battlefield."

"Harder to hit a moving target than one standing up on a shattered bit of wall like a statue," she said and crossed her arms under her breasts.

The hand stroked the beard again and stared at her with eyes as hard as stone chips. Her red eyebrow slowly arched up as she stared right back at him. He grunted after a moment finally realizing that she wasn't a woman that would back down from a challenge and may be as strong and tough as any nord. "I'm offering you a position as a guard trainer in Whiterun. You'll work with the Barracks Captain and take orders from me, the Captain, or Irileth only. I want my guards trained to fight these beasts, and you seem to know what you're doing at least."

"No," Shalaree said and continued to stare at him, ignoring the indrawn breaths of several people that were close enough to hear the conversation.

"What did you just say?" the man asked as he shifted on his throne.

"I said 'no.' I've no interest in joining anyone's army, being somebody's guard or lapdog ever again. Your guards would do fine if they understood the terms 'duck and cover' and 'watch your ass and don't make it a prime target.' There's my advice." She dropped her arms to the side and turned her back to him as she started to walk away. Talen nodded his head at the man then hurried to catch up to her.

They were halfway down the stone steps back into town when Talen gripped her by the upper arm to stop her. "You know you just blew our chances at getting that house."

Shalaree snorted, "They wouldn't have accepted a reasonable offer on that dump anyway, Talen. The steward was angling for a higher bid than what that place is worth. Let's finish our business in town and restock. If there are no new bounties, it's time to move on." He stared into her eyes and huffed out a breath before they continued down the steps.

They just walked past a dead tree when a shaky, thready sounding voice called out to them asking for a coin. Shalaree grimaced and whirled around ready to tell the beggar to find a job when she saw it was a young girl no more than ten. The girl wore a ragged dress and thin slippers. Shalaree didn't see a cloak, and the girl shook from the cold. After learning her aunt had thrown her off her parent's farm when they died Shalaree and Talen took the girl to the Inn and bought her a hot meal then to one of the stalls and purchased her a warm hooded cloak, fur-lined boots, and gloves.

It almost broke their hearts when the girl asked if they would adopt her. "If we had a home that you could live in we would, but we live in a wagon right now," Talen said, and the girl dropped her head and nodded before thanking them for their kindness. Talen put several copper and silver coins into a pouch and told her to keep them safe.

When the girl walked dejectedly back toward the Temple where they were letting her sleep on one of the pews at night, Shalaree turned toward Talen. "Does that often happen here? Throwing children away as if they were garbage?"

He shook his head. "No, not often, but it does happen. Greed is universal. As far as I've heard, there is only one orphanage in all of Skyrim, and it's far from here. Come on, Shalaree, there is nothing more we can do to help her. Let's get our supplies and ready the campsite if we're still leaving in the morning."


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A brief note.
> 
> Thanks to all the readers, both old and new, for taking the chance on reading this story. I appreciate all the comments and kudos. A quick reminder that there is no beta for this story, so all mistakes are purely mine.
> 
> This story contains items, locations, and various magical spells that come from mod additions to the game. I am keeping track of all of them that I use as a basis or reference so after this story has come to its conclusion I can post a listing of them. If at any time you are unsure if it's a mod or just something from my imagination just ask. If it's a mod, I'll point you to where you can find it.
> 
> Enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

 

 

Over a dinner of spit roasted deer meat, boiled potatoes and carrots, and a fresh loaf of bread they purchased from Elsith earlier, Talen and Shalaree studied their map.

"One of the guards told me about several small towns that he knew of and marked them on the map along with the Hold Capitals that I didn't have already on there, so we're better able to judge where we want to go. I've been to the small towns of Rorikstead, Darkwater Crossing, and Kynesgrove, and the Hold Capitals of Solitude and Riften before I went back to Black Marsh, but the rest of them I don't know anything about. Before we decide where to head first, you should know that Riften should be our last resort... the area is one of the most beautiful settings I've seen in Skyrim, but the hold itself is home to the Thieve's Guild and bandits are rife through the area."

Shalaree studied the map as she chewed. "It's like a giant wobbly circle around Whiterun." Talen cocked his head and saw what she meant and nodded.

"Whiterun is considered the trade hub, almost every caravan, and the travel carriages goes through there."

She studied the map again, the fork she held in her mouth bobbing as she tightened and relaxed her lips. She finally pulled it from her mouth and pointed at a symbol further to the South, the legend he had scribbled on the side of the map read Falkreath. "Let's go here and then West, circle toward the North and turn East then South. Ending at Riften. By then we will have seen the holds and what they have to offer and should have quite a bit of funds to work with."

He carefully put his utensils down on the empty wooden trencher and took a moment to try and steady his voice before he asked, "You want to see the entirety of Skyrim before you decide where to settle? Shalaree that could take years."

She rubbed at her nose and put her trencher off to the side. "Okay, what would you rather do?"

"Head North toward Windhelm. Solitude, Markarth, and Windhelm are the three largest Holds, with Solitude being the Capital for the Imperium and Windhelm being where the greatest concentration of Argonians supposedly are and the biggest hold for non-Imperial supporters. We've already picked up that one random fish request for Markarth off the Inn board and from the rumors I've heard the town is unlike all the others. Plus, other than Riften, those three places would be our best chance at finding a home. We can always travel, but with a home to return to it would just feel better to me, and it would mean we could be married sooner. We could help that little girl hopefully before she falls ill and dies."

"Do you want to adopt that girl? Isn't there a process or something? A child welfare office we need to contact?"

Talen snorted. "No. Kids left abandoned in the streets are usually just left to be forgotten. No one cares. From what I heard in Riften all you need to do is to have a place for them to sleep and a chest for their clothes and tell them they are now your son or daughter and that's pretty much it."

"You're shitting me. Can anyone do that? What if it's some child molester or something?"

Talen shrugged. "Hopefully, the kids are careful in who they ask to adopt them like that girl was. If it were just me, she probably wouldn't have even mentioned adoption, at least not until she got a better read on me. These kids are smarter than what you might think. And yes, if it's alright with you and she's still alive and in the same circumstances when we get a home, I'd like to come back here and see if she'd still like to be our daughter. Every child deserves a safe childhood and what her aunt did to her was horrible."

Shalaree stood up and gathered their dishes, her brow furrowed and a slight frown on her face. "I don't know, Talen. A kid is a big responsibility, and I don't know anything about raising one."

"All I ask is you think about it, Shalaree. We have time, and hopefully, the help we provided will let her make it through the worst of the weather alive."

That night Shalaree blew out the lantern in the wagon and softly said to Talen before he closed the door, "We'll head to Windhelm then to Winterhold since it looks like it would only take a few more days. We'll decide where to go after that once we check those areas. Night, Talen."

His quiet answer of, "Good night, Shalaree, I love you," drifted to her as she snuggled further into the heavy fur bedroll.

 

* * *

 

Two days later they pulled into the stable yard of the Nightgate Inn. The snow had begun to fall the night before, and it had grown worse until it was a full on blizzard.

Talen shouted to Shalaree that he would go in and purchase stable space for the horses before he jumped down and fought his way through the snow and the wind to get to the front door. An hour later the horses were dry and fed with their heavy blankets draped over them and comfortably stabled in a roomy stall with fresh straw on the floor. Their wagon was parked next to the stable and securely locked with a fresh dose of paralytic potion in the trap and all the items double checked to make sure they wouldn't blow off. Talen and Shalaree sat at a table near the oblong firepit that was in the center of the Inn's tap room soaking up the heat and drinking mugs of hot cider and eating boar stew.

Talen spread the bounty letters that the Innkeeper handed to him along with the notices that he had taken from the board on the table between them. "The large bounty is for Windhelm, which works out well. This bounty is from a local. Apparently, there's a cave a few hours walk East of here near a large lake that has a couple of animals in it. They've been killing livestock, so the farmers took up a collection to pay for an extermination. One's for slaying a giant in a camp to the south of here. There was another one of those strange, "Have you visited..." ones for a place called Yorgrim Overlook. From the directions that they scrawled on here, it's close by. And it's from the same person that posted the last one, and they live in Markarth so we can eventually get the information to them. The apothecary from Dawnstar posted a retrieval notice for an item called The Ring of Pure Mixtures, and it's rumored to be inside a cave practically across the road from this Inn. Then there are the normal ones asking for pelts and one from the blacksmith at Windhelm wanting ten silver ingots. We've got three we picked up from the bandits, and we have that journal to show us where the silver mines are in the area."

"So we stay here until the snow eases up then go to do the giant and animal quests? Should we also take care of that cave or take a chance on leaving the wagon and horses alongside the road?"

Talen shook his head. "Both the cave and Overlook are within a few hours walk; the horses can rest up here in safety while we take care of all these things in a day, two at the most."

Once they agreed on a course of action, Talen rolled up his map and tucked it back into the side pocket of the pack and went to check on the horses one last time for the night while Shalaree took a sponge bath and got ready for bed.

Talen shook her awake in the morning after placing a tray loaded with food on the tiny table in their rented room. "Shalaree, wake up. The snow stopped, and we should get moving soon, the sun is already up." He shook his head at her usual morning grumpiness as he poured her tea into a small stoneware cup. It took them close to two hours to eat and begin the trek southward. Talen informed her she needed to reset the trap on the wagon since someone decided to try and rob it. He had found the would-be thief half frozen that morning still paralyzed and informed the Innkeeper. Together they dragged the man into a storage shed and tossed a ratty fur blanket over him before locking the door. The Innkeeper's son had flagged down a courier with a missive detailing what happened so it could be taken to Windhelm and a constable sent to pick up the man to haul him off to jail.

An hour after they left he called a halt and unrolled the map to mark several corundum vein locations on the map before tapping them and starting south again. Close to another hour later they heard the heavy stomps and crashes of the giant's feet as it followed closely beside the only mammoth in the area.

The pair of them crouched behind several boulders and watched the creatures for several minutes. "This doesn't look good, that giant isn't leaving that mammoth's side. If we attack the giant, then it's going to attack us to protect the giant. One of those bastards is bad enough on its own... but both of them together could mean death," Talen whispered.

Shalaree slid her elven helmet on her head and slipped on the orcish claw gloves before choosing her fireball staff from her pack. "Then we force them to split up. We each target one from a different direction and draw them apart. When one is down, we go help with the other. We just have to stay out of the attack range of them and use magic. We can do this."

Talen stared at her for a moment then eased his chainmail helm on his head and checked his pouch of potions to make sure enough of the blue magic replenishing ones were in the quick use slots before he nodded at her. A quick kiss and he slipped back from her with a whispered, "I've got the mammoth, you keep the giant's attention on you long enough for me to take care of it. I'll send a signal when I'm ready."

Shalaree moved toward a boulder strewn area to the west and waited. A bright green flash of light lit the air to the east, and she heard the trumpet of the mammoth. A second later the blazing ball of fire landed dead center on the back of the lumbering giant, and its movement halted as it slowly decided if it wanted to protect its mammoth or attack the tiny thing that had hurt it. In the time that it took the creature to make its decision Shalaree had hit it with two more fireballs and a blast from the lightning staff.

Talen in the meantime hit the charging mammoth with a variety of elemental bolts, fire, and lightning spells while leading it back toward the Inn and leaping over several fallen logs and large rocks hoping to slow the oncoming beast down. The huge shaggy beast stumbled once but seemed to gain a second breath and charged toward him. Talen hit it with two firebolts, and it let out one last bellow before it fell to its knees and slowly toppled to its side and laid still, the stream of bright purple light that entered his pouch told him that the mammoth was dead. Talen didn't hesitate but took off running back toward where Shalaree fought with the giant, downing several small swirling blue potions as he did.

The giant fell when a fireball hit it from the front at the same time two elemental bolts blasted its back. Another purple glow swirled around and entered Talen's pouch. They emptied out the battered wooden chest of a few valuable articles and went back to deal with the mammoth's remains. Talen shook his head, "This thing has tons of meat. We want the tusks and the hide, and as much meat as we can carry, but so much of it would go to waste.

Shalaree took off her helmet and brushed the hair from her forehead, "Why don't you start butchering it and I'll run back to the Inn. Let the owner and his sons come to help themselves to as much meat as they can carry? Maybe they'll let us stay at the Inn an extra day free of charge. I'll bring several more sacks and all the meat wrapping paper we have on hand." He thought a moment then nodded; she took off running for the Inn as he knelt in the reddening snow and began the grueling task of skinning and rendering the carcass of an animal that weighed roughly six tons.

A little over an hour later Talen looked up when he heard the sound of people talking, horses nickering, and the creaking of wagon wheels. Not only did Shalaree return with the Innkeeper and his oldest son, but several of the residents and farmers showed up as well. Once they helped him to fold the hide and remove the tusks, they all set about helping him with the meat and fat. They filled Shalaree's sacks, pouches, and jars first before splitting the rest of the meat. Several hours went by when they looked up at hearing more people approaching. The men's wives and daughters came trudging through the snow bringing with them baskets filled with food and drinks for them.

Talen stood off to the side with Shalaree listening to the talk of the small community. Apparently, they were worried about being able to survive the harsh winter that was fast approaching, what with those animals killing most of the livestock. With the amount of meat that this one kill provided most of that weight lifted from their shoulders, and the mood was jovial.

"Tomorrow morning we go and get rid of those animals and the two other places. It'll be a long day, so we leave at daybreak," Talen said to her as he handed her the empty metal mug and headed back to help finish up the task so everyone could return to their homes.

 

* * *

 

Talen gently shook Shalaree awake long before dawn the next morning. She groaned and shivered before pulling the fur back up to her shoulders. "Get up, my love. I have your breakfast, and you better hurry before the warm bathing water cools too much. If you don't hurry, I'll eat all of the freshly made and still warm cinnamon spiced apples before you get done and leaving you with the plain cooked oats."

Shalaree's head popped up off the pillows and sniffed as Talen uncovered a bowl that released the scent of warm apples with sugar and cinnamon.

After a quick wash and filling meal of cooked oats with apples and her blend of tea they dressed in their armor, and heavy cloaks then began the trek a short distance South-East toward the small lake and the animal den. The sun had just rose high enough to shed light on the lake when they made their way down to the shoreline, and Talen drew up short. Shalaree had bumped into him before she noticed he had stopped walking.

"What?" she whispered and flexed her claw equipped hands in case something was getting ready to spring out at them.

"What the hell are those pipes for? Could that be what the nords refer to as Dwemer made? I've never seen a metal like it before," he whispered quietly as he slowly approached the large pipes that were running along the ground and going into the lake. They could make out steam coming from around the pipes, and a low fog rose from the semi-frozen lake where the heated water mixed with the freezing water of the lake.

"What do you mean by Dwemer?"

Talen glanced over at her, "The ruins we used to investigate in Cyrodiil, Ayleid ruins, they are older than the ruins here in Skyrim. Rumors and old stories tell of a race of advanced dwarven folk who built great cities and monuments using a combination of magic, science, and technology. They created great inventions and also weapons of war. But all of a sudden they just disappeared, leaving everything behind. I told you when we first reached Skyrim about their ruins I had spied in the distance as I traveled."

Shalaree shifted her feet, "Everyone was just gone? No signs of where they went or how they left? Just gone?"

Talen nodded and glanced at her. Her worried expression caused him to ask, "Why?"

Shalaree chewed her lower lip, "It's probably nothing, but when the Reapers completed their harvests they didn't leave anyone behind. They took or killed everyone and wiped their presence out so that no one would know of their existence."

Talen's feathers raised up. "They would do these harvests overnight? The entire Dwemer civilization was rumored to have just disappeared, from one end of Skyrim to the other in a single night."

Shalaree blinked and took a deep breath and let it out again, "No. Harvesting was a slower process and took decades, something else must have happened to these Dwemer people."

Talen took another look at the pipes then drew his sword from its sheath on his back and gave his tail and experimental swing making sure the armor remained balanced before he took several steps toward the cave opening, carefully ducking under the large icicles that hung from the mouth of the cave. They heard the howls of the large pit wolves seconds before the pair leaped from the cave's shadows and attacked.

Shalaree wiped the blood and gore from her claws on a piece of scrap leather as Talen rendered the carcasses. While he finished up the second wolf, she wondered around and found a single potion lying in a pile of dried bones. An apothecary satchel with the strap bitten in two laid against the wall. She found an unlocked metal and stonework chest containing a gear made of the same metal the chest was, a sapphire, and several coins laid scattered in the bottom. She noted they weren't the standard Septims, but more like the coins they used to find in the Ayleid ruins. The chest also had several rotting pieces of clothing that she tossed aside.

"Not a lot of treasure here, Talen."

He shrugged as they made their way back up the to the road and traveled a bit further east to find the entrance to the next cave they needed to explore. This one they needed to find a single ring somewhere inside.

Talen tossed a fire bolt toward the giant skeever that had been rooting around a pile of bones near the entrance before they entered the cave. They carefully lit the candles in their lanterns and hung them on the sides of their belts before going any further into the cave. Almost immediately they saw a cart with a chest on it and a skeleton laying on the ice. While Talen checked the satchel that laid beside the skeleton, Shalaree flipped the lid to the chest open and sorted through the contents. Her find included two lockpicks, a pair of linen breeches with a hole in the knee, a plain silver ring, a gold necklace, three garnets, and a small pouch that contained a small amount of salt. She took everything but the breeches and handed the items to Talen who tucked them into his hip pouch with the few usable ingredients he had found in the satchel. He took the ragged breeches and wrapped them around the steel sword then placed it in her pack making sure that it didn't damage it. "We need to start taking everything we can carry again, Shalaree. No matter the metal it's made from."

They made their way deeper into the cave eventually finding themselves in an ice tunnel. They found a door they couldn't open from their side and several burial urns that Talen reluctantly opened to peer inside of. He found several gems and Nordic coins that he added to his pouch and they moved on.

Talen flung two firebolts at more skeevers that looked to have taken up residence in the cave before they checked a double set of stairs that flanked a doorway. The only thing at the top was a bucket with a rotten bottom. Talen made sure Shalaree was ready to go before he opened the iron door.

They followed the rickety wooden spiral staircase until it opened into a hallway. Talen stood listening for a moment before moving into the hall. He stumbled to a halt just in time to keep himself from stepping on a different looking stone on the floor. He looked around and saw the tubes jutting from a statue in front of him. He moved to step over the block and paused as they both heard the creak of metal from further along the corridor and around a corner. Talen held up a finger to his mouth, and Shalaree nodded. As quietly as he could, he opened the chest that sat at the foot of the statue and removed the valuables from it. A quiver of twenty orcish arrows, one empty common soul gem, and one full grand gem, a handful of mixed coins, a gold and diamond ring he flashed toward Shalaree before dropping into his pouch, and three lockpicks.

"Another beautiful ring to add to your collection." He grinned down at her.

She shrugged, "I've got the one from the mage's guild and that really pretty ebony and diamond one you found in the dungeon in Cyrodiil. I'm good, but it should bring in Septims though," she whispered back, and they readied themselves to face whatever creature was around that corner and creaked like metal.

The creature turned out to be a draugr.

After looting the now, once again dead, draugr they continued down the corridor stopping long enough for Talen to check the burial urns and to kill a few more draugr before they came to a set of stairs leading downward. After another hour of killing and looting draugr and picking up random loot consisting of jewelry, iron, gold, steel, and a stack of pure silver bars. Ancient coins. A few steel and orcish weapons, an ancient nord sword and helm. And a handful of different quality gems, several random potions, more lockpicks, a few books. And one rather ancient looking war axe they came to another iron door and stopped to grab a bite to eat and rest.

They replaced the plain tallow candles in their lanterns and restocked their potions before Talen opened the door. The hallway opened up into a large room with staircases on both sides of it and a stone bridge spanning the upper area. Several draugr came at them and were met by lightning bolts from Talen and fire bolts from Shalaree's staff. They methodically searched the room and picked up more bars and random items of jewelry and ancient coins before moving further into the catacombs.

"I hope we either run out of draugr soon or come to the end of this rotten cave and find that ring. I'm getting tired of all the dust flying up when one of them collapses," Shalaree groused, and Talen snorted as he emptied a rotted pouch of the few coins that were inside.

They eventually came to a room with two locked doors, and Shalaree drank some water from her waterskin as Talen began to pick them. She had heard a pick snap and Talen snarl before he started again. A few minutes later she heard a soft click, and he swung the door open, an old battered wooden chest sat against the wall of the small room. Talen flipped it open and removed the valuables and dropped the coins into his pouch. The other door opened up into an empty room, so they jogged up the short flight of stairs and started down the long hallway.

Behind the door at the end was a swinging blade trap that they had to get past. Talen pulled on the chain that hung a short distance past the trap, and the razor sharp blades swung back into the wall and remained there. Up ahead they could see a room and in the center of it was a stone sarcophagus.

"I don't like this one bit, Talen," Shalaree whispered and drew out her flame staff. Talen gave her a slight nod in agreement and replaced his bow with the glass sword. The soft snick of Talen drawing his blade the only sound they heard.

"Stay alert, Shalaree," he murmured then took several steps into the room. A few more steps and the lid of the sarcophagus didn't just move to the side and fall to the floor, but it literally burst open and a draugr unlike any they had fought before emerged.

Bright yellow glowing eyes and a helmet with incredibly long horns were the first things that Shalaree noticed then came the sounds of several more crashes as draugr pushed the lids from several upright sarcophagi built into the walls and stepped out.

Talen sent a gout of flames toward the powerful draugr while Shalaree drew the attention of two of the ones holding swords and shields. The bolts from her staff staggered the two then at Talen's shout sent two toward one of the other draugr that had charged toward Talen.

"They're flanking us!," Shalaree yelled and backed up several steps to put her back near Talen's. She felt the tingly warmth of a healing spell wash over her and kept the fire bolts slamming into the two weakened draugr before feeling Talen stumble as his back slammed into hers from a hit he took. One draugr fell in a smoking heap then another. Shalaree turned to see Talen had dropped his sword and began to only cast magic at the main draugr.

She used the last charge of her staff to stagger one of the draugr away from Talen before dropping it and leaping toward one of the closer ones and slashed out with her clawed hands. She quickly realized that she needed to use open hand strikes and swipes more than punches to do the most damage. A few kicks to cause the creature to stumble backward and give her more room before she began another series of hits and kicks. When the draugr dropped to the ground, she turned and saw Talen still struggled with the huge draugr, but the other one had collapsed and crackled with the bluish-purple light from a lightning bolt. Shalaree turned back toward the one she fought with to see it rising to its feet again. It was beginning to stand fully upright when she swung her leg and cracked it under the jaw, the metal of her boot cracked against the jawbone and the draugr's head snapped backward, and the dead thing flew a few feet before crashing into a heap. This time it didn't move again. It had taken several more minutes of combined physical and magical attacks before the large draugr dropped.

Talen fell to his knees right afterward, and Shalaree sat next to him trying to catch her breath.

"Don't move from this spot yet, Shalaree. We need to rest and recharge everything, and I don't think I could fight off a skeever if one happens to pop out of a hole right now," Talen muttered, and Shalaree silently nodded in full agreement.

Talen groaned as he removed his chainmail and leather shirt. Shalaree gasped as the wound that he had kept hidden from her flowed with fresh blood. She reached into her pack and handed him one of the small healing potions she made before finding the jar of salve. "Guess now's as good a time as any to see if this works for us as well as it did for Thunder," she said as she stripped off the claws before dipping her fingers into the pot and digging a glob of it out. She warmed the salve between her hands before spreading it over the still gaping wound. He hissed then sighed with relief.

"It's tingling, and I feel a gentle warmth. The pain is lessening more and look; the wound is closing. You did an excellent job, definitely a keeper for us," he said to her as they continued to watch the wound close until there was no sign of one even being there except for some dried blood on his side.

She grinned at him, "I'll make a note of the ingredients and make sure to keep them on hand. It was a good purchase from the University before we left." She replaced the jar as he slipped his shirt back on.

They carefully searched the area and all the bodies. They gained an ancient Nordic helm and an enchanted longsword from the big draugr, various other pieces of Nordic weaponry, and a handful of gems, three common soul gems, a small pouch worth of mixed coins, and several potions. Once they were sure, they thoroughly searched the bottom level they started for an alcove, only to have three more draugr step from their upright coffins.

A few more goodies were added to their growing pile, and Shalaree noted she would need to make a few more magic potions for Talen before they started up a short set of stone steps.

Talen pointed at the word wall and then at the huge chest that sat in front of it. "Do you think we should send that khajiit a note by courier about this place?" He asked as he checked over the chest.

Shalaree nudged him, "Yes, I do think we should tell Do'Jahirr. It's whatever is written on these walls that let him do those shout things. And whatever is in the box you're going to have to cart out of here because my pack is full."

Talen grunted and pushed the heavy lid of the chest up. He grinned up at her as he hefted a shimmering green set of armor from inside the chest. "All this shit was worth it for this. Glass armor, my love. Male... glass armor. A tweak here and there by a blacksmith, and I'll be set. We'll just need to buy a set of boots since that's all that's missing from the set. Now let's see what else is in here." He pulled out several potions, a tome of magic, stacked close to 100 coins of various sizes on top of the tome. Talen emptied a small pouch into his hand and colors danced from the glittering of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies in the light. And finally stuck in the corner of the chest wrapped in a piece of red satin cloth was the Ring of Pure Mixtures they were looking for.

Talen held it up for a few seconds before he glanced up at Shalaree. "You know what this ring is right?"

"Something an old woman in Dawnstar, wanted and posted a notice for so some dumb schmucks like us risk our lives to get it?"

Talen snorted, "Not just that. This is an alchemist's ring. If I remember correctly, it will boost the power of made potions if the alchemist is wearing it while mixing them."

"And?"

"And since you're our alchemist and herbal concoctions mixer... wouldn't it make more sense just to keep this ring for ourselves instead of giving it to another alchemist for the bounty of...," he pulled the notice from his pouch and opened it up. "For the grand sum of 40 Septims and a piece of alchemy advice? And once we get more soul gems and can start learning enchantments we can keep our eyes open for something with an alchemy fortification enchant on it, like this ring, and break it down then give the ring to the other alchemist. A win - win situation... sort of."

Shalaree arched an eyebrow and rocked on her back foot as she thought about it. "I don't think it would hurt to keep it for a little while. We don't know how long that notice was hanging there anyway."

Talen grinned and slipped the ring in her hip pouch before tucking the rest of the treasure in his packs and heaving the chest piece of his armor over his shoulder before pointing to the only door they hadn't checked. They opened the door and followed the short hallway to another door. Inside the small chamber was yet another door and lever. When Talen pulled the lever, the door swung open, and they found themselves back near the entrance to the cave. They dumped their finds into the chest that sat on the hand cart and between the two of them and a careful application of Talen's flame spell, was able to get the cart unstuck from the ice.

They trudged out from the cave entrance and blinked in the late afternoon light. "Well, off to see that Yorgrim Outlook so we can gossip about it when we reach Markarth," Shalaree said and Talen grunted as he pulled the handcart behind him.

Twenty minutes later they found the place they were looking for. It resembled an entrance to a barrow, and they groaned. Talen backed the small cart behind several scraggly looking bushes before pulling the sword from his back and waiting for Shalaree to choose a staff from her pack.

When they approached the barrow, they saw a locked gate blocking their way. As soon as Talen unlocked the gate and swung it open the two coffins in the corner burst open and a pair of skeletons walked out. A blast of Talen's flame magic while Shalaree slammed the staff against the other skeleton was all it took for the bonemen to fall apart.

Both of them looked at each other then Talen examined the chest that sat between the two coffins before he shrugged and flipped open the lid. Five minutes later they came away with a handful of coins and nothing else since there were no further doors, openings, gates, or other entrances. Talen grumbled almost the entire way back to the inn about wasting a half hour just to look at that place.


	35. Chapter 35

* * *

 

While Shalaree mixed up more potions for them inside their wagon, Talen separated their loot. He opened the secret panel and unlocked the thin metal strap that secured the gem and coin boxes then slid out several of the small boxes and sorted the gemstones into the appropriate containers and noted the amounts in a small journal before sliding them back into their spaces.

He looked at the coins and began to sort them. He held several closer to one of the lanterns to inspect it better. "Shalaree? I've never seen some of these types of coins before. When we get to Windhelm, I'll take a few to the bank and see what they're worth before deciding to cash them in. We've got quite a few different ones here."

"Sounds good, just note it all in the money journal when you get back. That way we can keep an eye out for the more valuable ones." She said as she held up one of the small crystal jars and tapped the bottom gently to settle the salt mixture in it so she could add another spoonful to the jar.

"What are you making now?" He asked as he peered over her shoulder.

"Bath salts. One of the recipes Julienne sold me when I went back to get that flame bolt staff. She listed several different herbal ingredients on the back of the sheet that had different effects in potions. She suggested I try them in other things like salves, lotions, and other stuff as well. These salts should work to ease sore muscles when added to warm bathwater. There's another that's an astringent for cleansing infected wounds. And of course, just plain nice smelling ones to relax with. I need to find somewhere to get more halite though."

"Halite?" Talen asked as he tied the coin pouches up and placed them in the other chests and slid everything back into place.

"Rock salt."

He grunted then reached around her to take out the mining journal and looked through the index for salt mines. "There are two salt mines in Skyrim and one in Solstheim. One is between Winterhold and Dawnstar, and the other is down in Falkreath. We can stock up on blocks of salt on the way to Dawnstar, we'll need more salt for brining any new meat anyway."

She nodded as she capped the jar and placed it in their bathing supplies basket. "How're our funds?" she asked as she cleaned up her work area.

"We currently have a bit over 6,000 Gold Septims. The smaller denominations I haven't counted since it's pocket money. If the exchange rate for gems is close to what it was in Cyrodiil, we should make a few thousand more when we sell the ones we have right now. Those odd coins may make a difference, but until we can get to the bank, I'm not even going to guess about those. And we'll have plenty of items for sale when we get to town as well."

"Alright, I hope there are more high paying bounties closer to Windhelm than what we found so far. Maybe we should start keeping an eye out for caves and other places to explore as well."

He nodded and shut and locked the door behind them.

 

* * *

 

The horses plodded along the road for two hours before they saw anything that resembled a settlement. A few random attacks of wolves had occurred, but not even a bandit had been on the road. Talen pointed out the large sawmill, and they stopped to rest the horses and gather information about the area. A nord woman named Anga owned the mill, and in exchange for several loads of cut firewood, she gladly told them of several small iron deposits and one orichalcum deposit in the area that she heard about from a traveler. She told them to stick to the road going south across the bridge, and it would take them right to Windhelm. iIf they kept up a steady pace, they should be there in two or three hours, as long as the weather held. She warned of several animal attacks along there as well.

A short time later they were back on the road. When they cleared the mountain area, Shalaree pointed at the huge walled town. Talen clicked his tongue and got the horses moving at a faster pace as they approached a large stone bridge that spanned a swiftly moving river. Talen stopped the wagon twice for mining opportunities and once more to fend off an attack by several wolves.

They crossed another small stone bridge and drew their wagon to a stop near the Windhelm Stables. "Should we stable the horses and get a room at the Inn or set up the wagon for camping?" Talen asked as they both tried to take in as much of the area as they could. Farms dotted the area further to the East, and they could see several river boats lined up along the docks.

Shalaree sat back against the wall of the wagon and hummed as she thought. "What do you think about stabling the horses for the night and staying in town. We can get the layout and see how much the inn costs, but to stay there for too long will drain our money quick, and our wagon and camping setup is more than adequate. Unless a blizzard springs up."

"Alright, let's do a bit of scouting close to the town and see if we can find a good spot before going to the stables."

Twenty minutes later Talen climbed down from the wagon and brushed several dead branches and kicked several rocks out of the way from an area he found. Boulders on one side and several trees that made a good wind break on the other with a clear view of the road and town. The large spot would easily hold the wagon with the sailcloth tent set up and a good size fire to ward off the chill. A large log was positioned close enough that with some minor adjustments would make a good seating area. Satisfied he had found them a good spot he climbed back up and started toward the stable.

After paying for a night of stabling fees for the horses and backing the wagon up against the backside of the stable, they set all the locks and Shalaree checked the poison trap on the door they started up the stone steps toward the impressive walled structure around the town of Windhelm. Guards were stationed all along the entrance, and they seemed to watch Talen closely. A few grumbled about another argonian coming to Windhelm and Shalaree snarled at them. Talen wrapped a hand around her wrist and tugged her gently, so she kept walking.

The guards at the high metal doors leading into the town gave them the usual warning of not causing trouble before one of them opened a smaller door inset into the door on the right. They paused a short distance inside. The amount of noise from people, dogs barking, and the over-powering stench of burning pine pitch from torches and braziers mixing with the distinct odor of rotting fish filled the air, "Uh... this may take longer than a few days."

Talen nodded in agreement, but his attention was drawn by two dirty nord males harassing a dunmer woman a short distance from them.

He heard them calling her a spy and how one night they could go to the Gray Quarter and show her what they do to spies like her before they turned and weaved their way back toward the Inn and Tavern.

"Let's go make sure there's room at the inn before we start looking around. They should also be able to tell us where some of these people are so we can get paid for these requests," Talen said and gripped Shalaree's elbow as more people moved through the area.

Talen's head whipped around when he heard a snap, and a cut off yelp of pain from behind them. A young man held his hand and was pale as the snow. Shalaree, however, was almost growling at him. "Fucking pickpocket," she hissed.

After renting one of the smallest rooms in the Candlehearth Hall Inn for 20 Septims, they began to learn the layout of the town. Shalaree took all of the promising looking notice board requests down, and Talen retrieved the open bounty letters from the Innkeeper and tucked them all into her pouch before making their way toward the open air market.

By nightfall, they had earned close to 500 more Septims and sold all of their unneeded gear, and the blacksmith would have Talen's new armor finished in several days.

The tiny bell over the shop door, whose sign announced the business as Sadri's Used Wares, gave a light tinkle and the dark elf behind the counter looked up.

"Good evening, how many I help you?"

Talen placed the notice on the counter, "We're here to answer the help request you posted. It is vague on exactly what you needed help with though."

"It's a delicate task. All of my goods are first rate, and I don't deal in stolen property. I may be just another dark elf to the nords in this town, but I have my honor...," the elf said shakily then took a deep sighing breath. "I don't know how it happened. You're out of towners, but you look reliable, and I'm hoping you can be discreet about this. I'll pay you well, and the task is quite simple. You see I bought this gold ring from someone. I didn't realize it was the one stolen from Viola the other day. I will pay you to sneak this back into her house, put it somewhere where she'll find it and think she just misplaced it. A drawer or desk or something. Just don't be caught doing it. When you've done it come back and see me, and I'll pay you then."

"A gold ring?" Shalaree asked and rooted through the notices she removed from the board earlier. She pulled the one from Viola Giordano from the pile and put it next to the other one.

"Yes, that's the one. If you just try and give it to her, she'll ask where you found it, and trust me Viola's like a dog with a bone and won't give up until she finds out. That's why I'd rather you sneak into her house and put it there than just handing it to her. I'll pay you equal to what she would have given you plus my own reward fee. That's 200 Septims if you'd do this for me."

Talen rubbed at his forehead then glanced at Shalaree who shrugged. "Alright, we'll need to think a bit on how to get into her house, but we'll get it done and back to you as quickly as we can."

At the Inn they sat at a table on the upper floor and waited for their dinner to arrive, Shalaree pulled out the stack of notices and began to separate them into different piles. They had close to twenty requests for delivery jobs, bounties, bandit camp clearings, fetching requests for herbs, ores, or fish, and a few animal extermination requests from the local farms.

"Shalaree, if you don't mind, would you handle the pickup and delivery requests yourself? I want to go to the docks tomorrow."

"The docks? We don't need any fish."

Talen gave a humorless chuckle, "Not for fish. That's where the argonians live. I overheard a couple people whispering about how I was just walking around as if I had the right to be here. One of the dark elves told me they aren't allowed to come into the town like the adventurers and travelers do when you were looking at the goods in a different stall."

"Say what? Why aren't they allowed in town? Is it another one of those things like the khajiit caravans not being allowed in because of the possibility of trouble of the sticky-fingered kind? 'Cuz I gotta tell you, that pickpocket definitely wasn't an argonian or a khajiit."

He snorted, "No. They just don't like anyone that doesn't happen to be nord, especially dark elves and certainly not argonians. I just want to see how they are and if they need anything. If anyone has any news from back home."

"Alright. I don't know how long this will take, at least we were able to jot down general directions for each one of those requests. When I'm done, I'll just come down there to meet you, that way you don't have to try and wander the town looking for me."

 

* * *

 

Talen stretched as he waited outside the kitchen for the cook to hand him a bucket of hot water. The Cook refused at first until the Innkeeper told him that Talen was a paying customer and to stop wasting time and give him the damn water. Ten minutes later and Talen still leaned against the wall and waited. Finally, he heard someone walking toward him, and a young woman shoved the bucket at him with a quick whispered apology and hurried back into the kitchen. Talen didn't wait around to try and figure out why she was the one apologizing when it should have been the Cook but hurried back down the hall to the room.

"It's about time. Was there a line or something?" Shalaree asked as she quickly stripped off her clothes as he dipped several ladles worth of the water into a shallow pan.

"No, just didn't want to heat water for me. We got it though, so don't worry about it. Hurry up before it gets cold."

Talen stripped off his clothes as he watched her bathe. She reached for what passed for a towel when she felt his hands on her and his warm breath against the side of her neck.

"You missed a spot," he whispered and reached for the rag and dipping it in the rapidly cooling water and squeezing it out before sliding it between her legs.

"No, I know I didn't miss that spot," she said shakily and tried to muffle the moan that threatened to spring forth as his fingers found her clit and rubbed it.

"Mmm, feels dirty to me, let me clean it for you," his fingers separated her labia further before delving into her tight slit. When she moaned, he whispered, "such a dirty sound."

His fingers slid in and out of her as her breathing became more ragged. He moaned as he pressed against her and began to rub trying to find friction to ease his body with. One scaled hand slid down her arm as his tongue began to lick along her neck and shoulder. Ever so slowly he brought her hand back to touch his thigh and slide it up in a caress. He made sure to give her plenty of time to say no before sliding himself across her palm. He moaned when her fingers tightened around him, and he began a rhythmic thrust in time with his fingers. She cried out and shook from her own release, and he gasped when her hand gripped him tighter, then hissed when she let go.

She turned in his arms and drew his head down for a kiss as her hand once more closed around him. He gave a shuddering sigh as she began to pump and stroke him from the thick base, up his length before brushing her thumb over the head and back down again. It had taken several more minutes before his hand cupped the back of her head and the other lifted her leg to wrap around his hip as he thrust hard against her palm. She let go of him, and he slid against her heat twice before groaning against her neck and letting his own release wash over him.

"Now I really am dirty again and have to wash, in cold water this time."

He snorted and let her go so he could bend down to pick up the cloth that had landed on the floor. The water was sufficiently cold enough that both of them hurried through their washing and climbed into bed.

 

* * *

 

Shalaree opened the small bundle of papers and studied the first pick up notice. It was from someone in the castle requesting a book be picked up and brought to them from a dock warehouse. She folded that one for later and read the next one. A meat delivery from the open air meat seller to someone named Tulver at the Hollyfrost Farm. So her day of fetching and carrying began. She grew more disgruntled as time went by when she realized most of this could have been done by some of the beggars, who kept stopping to ask her for coins then getting angry when she told them that they needed to stop begging and start checking the damn notice board for easy work. Lunch time came, and since she had just dropped off something in the Gray Quarter, she went to the local tavern. She stomped off the worse of the dirty snow from her boots as the sign for the New Gnisis Cornerclub swung in the ever present wind.

The few dunmer that sat at the scattered tables grew quiet when she entered and moved to the brazier in the corner to thaw slightly before removing her cloak and taking a seat at the bar.

The dunmer bartender paused for a moment before approaching her. "We don't have anything fancy here, nothing someone like you would want. Maybe you best go back to the other nords."

"First, I'm not a nord. I'm a newcomer to this land. Secondly, after hearing they approved segregation, I'd rather take their money for doing jobs and spend it here and at the docks than give it back to another of their kind. Now, I'm seriously hungry and thirsty. If you don't mind, I'd like to order something."

The dunmer stared at her for another minute before filling a mug with something he called Sujamma. "I'll be back with today's special." She nodded and took a sip of the potent brew.

Shalaree hummed in appreciation at the smell of the thick, savory stew and still warm bread that the bartender slid in front of her.

"What brings you to Windhelm?" the bartender who introduced himself as Ambarys Rendar asked.

"Looking to make some money and find someplace for my mate and me to try and settle down. But I seriously doubt this is going to be it. He's argonian and down at the docks right now trying to see how he can help them."

The dunmer's attitude became a bit friendlier after that, and he answered her questions about why so many of their kind lived there under the conditions they were forced to endure. Her frown grew worse the more she heard. After another half hour of gossiping and a refill of the Sujamma Shalaree reached into her pouch and dropped the payment on the counter. "Time to get back to it. Thanks for the meal and news."

"Come back and sit at the bar. There'll be space here for you anytime."

Shalaree hefted her pack and settled it on her back and twitched her cloak back into place after she dropped off a package to an elderly woman. She started walking back toward the main part of town to take care of the last of the deliveries when she overheard a small boy talking with a dunmer female and discussing another kid who lived all alone.

"It's true then? He's actually trying to contact the Dark Brotherhood?" the child asked, and the female paused for a moment.

"Just stay away from that boy, Grimvar. Aventus Aretino walks a dark path. His actions can lead only to ruin. Now. Enough. We will speak no more of this. I am the only friend you need." A few minutes more and the pair walked off.

Shalaree shrugged and continued on her way. She bumped into an older woman holding a bunch of notices as she rounded a corner. The papers fluttered the ground, and Shalaree apologized as she bent down to pick them up.

She paused and read the paper before handing it to the woman. "Someone's been killing women?"

The older woman nodded and introduced herself as Viola and told her that several women had been killed recently and she should be careful.

Shalaree realized this was the woman that was looking for the ring. "Wait. You said you were Viola?" She dug around her pack and drew out the notice about the ring. "You're the one looking for the ring?"

The woman nodded and asked, "Did you find it?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I've found several gold rings, but this notice is vague, and I can't be sure which one is yours. Can you give me some more details?" Shalaree asked and dug for a quill and inkpot, and tried to balance it all in her hands and write at the same time.

"This is impossible. Can we go back to your place and I'll show you the rings I have and if one is yours, then we can take care of it. If not then I'll have a stable place to write out the details, so I know what to look for. I'd also like some more information about this killer."

The older woman looked Shalaree over for several minutes then agreed. Once they were inside Viola's house, Shalaree dug out several of the gold rings they had found in several ruins and laid them on a small table next to the door. She watched as the woman examined each one before putting it back down.

"No. None of these are mine."

Shalaree dug out her quill and inkpot. "Can you tell me about this ring then?" she asked and began to write down the description, knowing full well the ring was in her pocket.

"Okay. That's pretty detailed, so I'll know what to look for now."

The woman smiled and told her to wait a moment while she went and retrieved a small booklet she had all the information she noted down about the killer. As soon as she was out of sight, Shalaree opened the dresser drawer and dropped the ring inside and partially covered it with a receipt that was in there before quietly closing it just as she heard the woman hurrying back toward her.

 

* * *

 

Shalaree sighed as she tiredly walked toward the doors to the dock area. She stopped to buy all the flowers from a young girl that stood near the doors selling them and even gave her five Septims for the basket before pushing the heavy doors open. She jogged down the stone steps and followed the signs to the dock warehouse where she signed for the book and slipped it into the basket with the half-wilted flowers before she went in search of Talen.

She just spotted his green feathers and glint from the horn cuff when she stopped dead in her tracks as he knelt down and hugged the green and blue argonian child that he'd been blocking her view of and nuzzling him before standing and hugging the female argonian that stood next to the child.

He turned toward Shalaree when the child said something to him, and his eyes met hers just as she took several steps back and turned to hurry back toward the doors to town.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gigantic chapter warning. Started writing and didn't seem to want to stop. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

 

 

Talen caught up to her just as she slipped through the dock doors.

He took hold of her elbow and pulled her into a small alleyway. "Stop. It isn't what you're thinking. I don't want to go into it here, but at least give me the benefit of the doubt before you condemn me for something that's not true. He's not my son, and that female isn't my lover or his mother."

She yanked her arm from his grasp and took a breath before calmly stepping to the side. "I've got a delivery to make. You better explain what the hell I saw tonight, especially after the last few days."

She quickly walked through the town and took the steps leading up to the Palace of the Kings. Talen hurried to keep up with her, all the while cursing his dumb luck that she just had to be on the docks at that precise moment.

She handed the book over to the recipient and noted the delivery in her small journal before turning and striding back out the doors and straight for the town gates leading to the stables without stopping.

Talen started the fire blazing when they made it to their campsite and rubbed the back of his neck as he heard her slamming around gathering things for their dinner. He had put off the story longer than what he should have, and now he had to tell her everything. She trusted him with her history now it was time for him to trust her.

He was quiet until after they ate the hastily prepared meal. Talen tossed more logs on the fire then pulled a fur around his shoulders.

"My family's clan was small. Just a few families that were just starting out and wanted to break away from the larger one. They found a young Hist tree without a clan and settled there. A few years later a group of hatchlings was born, I was one of those. We lived a harsh, but good life.

I was twelve summers old and had begun to excel at herbal collection and archery. Like most kids, I was cocky and thought I was the best at everything. One morning I went out to gather some rarer herbs that grew only in the thicker part of the forest. Against the orders of my parents to stay close to home."

He shifted and lifted a tankard of warm cider to take a drink before continuing. "I wandered further from camp than what I had been before and ended up getting lost. So much for being a great hunter, tracker, and all that." He snorted, and she drew up her leg and rested her head on it and quietly listened without interrupting.

"I wandered around for hours; it turned into two days before I heard voices nearby. I thought I made it back to camp or maybe a different one. I didn't even think about why there were no guards or scouts posted. I got closer and quickly realized the voices I heard weren't argonian, but either that of man or mer. I hid behind a bush and listened. Why were they here? How could they have made it that far into Black Marsh? It's a known fact that the marsh is deadly to others. I listened some more and heard a few of them complaining about losing several of their people to disease, an attack by a giant snake, and a few just disappeared into the marsh without a sound. Another one told them to shut up, more Septims for them if a few more people go missing by the time the job got done. I wasn't sure if they were talking about one of the actual giant snakes or if a Naga had found them and picked a few off as easy prey and I grew wary. Naga are vicious and cunning and if one was close by we were all in danger."

"You must have been scared."

He shrugged, "I was scared out of my loincloth, but I stayed there because I was also curious. And it was a good thing I did. I heard the leader of the group and the scout for them talking. They were searching for a Hist tree. The leader was a mage and he needed a tree with argonians to test something that he swore would get rid of us once and for all. You know that the Argonian people revere the Hist, and we need the Hist to develop. But the Hist also requires us to care for it. It is a symbiotic relationship. The mage figured that much out. I heard the scout chortle and said he couldn't wait to see what would happen to the argonians as the tree died then he and his men would take pleasure in killing the argonians that tried to stop them."

She jerked and looked up at him, and he nodded. "Yeah, they were going to kill a Hist just to see how it would affect us. But it was even worse. Apparently, in those two days, I did indeed begin to find my way back to the clan. In fact, I was less than an hour to the North of our Hist, if what I heard from the scout was right, and it was my clan that they were going after. Like an idiot instead of cautiously moving away, I turned quickly and began to run. And was caught."

He shoved a log on the fire and poured himself another cup of cider before sitting down and leaning back against the huge log. "I thought they would kill me right then and there. Instead, they thought it would be more fun to tie me up as they told me what they were going to do to the argonians and kill me on the way back with one of their swords still soaked in filthy lizard blood." He could still hear their laughter as they bound his arms behind him. His weak struggles only made them laugh harder.

"I have no idea how long it took me to cut the ropes binding my hands. I told you before that my tail spines were sharp, but unlike here, in the Marsh, they were kept incredibly sharp out of necessity and I was able to rub the rope against one long enough to break the strands and get free. I ran in the direction they went as fast as I could. Then I heard the screams and clashing of swords and shields. I tripped over a body and fell to my knees. It was a male not much older than me, one that had just earned the scout position a month earlier.

I scrambled toward the tree and saw what was once a glorious crown of bright green turning black. Whatever the mage did was indeed killing our Hist and along with it the ground and water around it. The water that surrounded the Hist, once crystal clear and clean, now looked like thick, black sludge and the nests began to sink into the mess. The golden Hist sap that we need as hatchlings to survive and develop the connection with the Hist oozed out of the dying tree as a black ichor and dripped into that sludge. I didn't think but ran toward a small inlet that had yet to be completely affected by that mess and grabbed what I could of the eggs and ran.

I hid them in a barrel and went searching for my parents, egg sister, and brother. I found my mother dead, her body covering my sister, my brother lay dead a few feet from them, a child's bow clutched in his hand. My father was nowhere in the camp. Then I realized several other men were missing as well. I fought off several of the human men, wounding one and went in search of the mage. I found him cutting one of the poisoned eggs open and poking around inside of it while my people were dying all around him. He was the first man I killed. Not by an arrow, or magic, or sword... I picked up a rock and hurled myself at him, I struck him in the back of the head, and we fell in a heap, and I kept hitting him with that rock until there was nothing left of his head."

Shalaree got up and moved next to him taking his hand in one of hers.

He cleared his throat and took another swallow before he began again, "I don't know how long I sat there, but I remember throwing the rock away and then crawling off the mage and vomiting in the bushes. I heard several shouts and renewed fighting. I got to my feet and made my way back to what remained of the clan. That's when I saw my father and the other men.

Eventually, a few of the survivors told me what happened. My father had talked several of them into going with him to look for me when I didn't come home that night. If I hadn't been so stupid and foolish in thinking I could go into the Marsh on my own, then the men would have been there to help fight from the beginning. Instead, my entire family laid on the forest floor dead, and out of thirty argonians, only ten were still alive. Our clan was gone. Our Hist dead, and I was the only surviving child.

We had celebrated a short time earlier with the laying of more than twenty eggs. Our future generation would solidify the clan, and it would grow. Three eggs. That was all that I had saved, all I could carry in my arms. The clan split up after we buried the dead. The ones that took the eggs went deeper into the Marsh. I heard a few years later that the eggs didn't make it, the couple couldn't find a new tree, and by the time they found a new clan that would take them in it was too late for the eggs."

He heaved out a shaky breath and tossed the rest of the cider away. "The female you saw came from a clan that took in the couple I told you about. She's a few years older than I am. She came to Windhelm hoping that she could find a better life here. Instead found the nords less than welcoming. The child... is the last child born from the couple. They passed away, and he came with her, but she can't support him. Not on eight Septims a day. They live in the Assemblage; if what you call sleeping on a blanket in the corner living, but it's all the argonians have. They work from dawn to dusk for what we earn in less than an hour delivering a bundle of herbs because the nords don't want them in town. I gave them some money, but it won't last. What you saw was me thanking her for taking care of him, and I gave the child a hug and told him he wasn't the last of the clan and I'd do what I could for him."

"I feel like such a shit right now for thinking you had lied to me when you told me you'd never been here. That boy looked so much like you, except for the blue feathers and patches of blue scaling. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions and left."

He squeezed her hand. "The members of my clan had a few things in common. Having both horns and feathers were one. Our colors usually stayed in the blue and green range. If you had known about that you might have noticed the difference with the female and wondered why the child didn't look anything like her."

He shrugged and brushed his thumb over hers, "It was about three years after that incident when the Hist spoke to me. They told me that even though my clan was gone, and the tree that we had sworn to protect died, I had earned a reward. They told me that had I not disobeyed and gotten lost, the mage's plan may have worked. And since none of them survived it would be assumed, that just like so many others, they had died from some Marsh disease; or just disappeared into it. The Mage kept his research notes in a journal, and we destroyed it before we dumped their bodies in one of the swamp's sinkholes. The Hist then told me that one day I would be given something special, something unique. Like I said earlier, I was young, I really thought I'd find a legendary sword or bow, even a piece of legendary equipment. I had no idea they meant you."

"How long ago was this?" Shalaree asked, and he shrugged.

"I was sixteen when the Hist spoke. So around sixteen years ago."

She blinked at him. "No fucking way."

"What?"

Shalaree shook her head, "Unbelievable. I was born in the year 2154. When I turned sixteen the batarians attacked our colony and killed or enslaved everyone, but me. And only because my father made sure I knew how to shoot. I picked up his old rifle and hid, killing every one of those bastards that got close. I held off long enough for the Alliance to arrive and the batarians ran. Thirteen years later I learned of the Reapers. Three years later I died for the second time when I shot the conduit. Sixteen years passed since the day I had lost my family and friends before I came to be here."

They stared at each other for several minutes.

_"We knew. We felt. We waited and watched. We spoke to the Original Creator. They observed and weighed the scales.They offered a deal, and it was accepted. Your soul arrived and was reborn. We are the Hist, and we are Eternal."_

Talen cleared his throat realizing that the Hist had spoken to both of them. "They had it all planned from the beginning."

_"We did not orchestrate the deaths of either family. We saw the pain and suffering. We would never hurt one of our own unless they have gone against itself and gone rogue. Lilmoth was the last. We felt the loss of one of our own. We felt great sorrow echoing from each of you. Now it is up to each of you to heal that sorrow."_

Shalaree stood up and collected everything to clean. "I'll take first watch. Try and get some sleep, we've got a busy day of animal extermination and herbal gathering tomorrow. Oh, and I found a way to drop off that ring in that woman's house, so that's already taken care of. We need to get payment for it still."

He nodded to her and rose wearily from where he sat. After poking the fire and placing a huge log in it to make sure the fire burned through the night, he went over to where she washed the dishes and spoke quietly to her. "You do not need to worry about a child coming into our family in that way, Shalaree. I may have been carefree in who I slept with before you, but I wasn't stupid enough not to take precautions. No argonian female will show up and tell us that her offspring are mine. And unlike the khajiit, there isn't even a possibility of a non-argonian woman saying it. We are one of the only species who can't interbreed with others."

She paused in her washing and nodded before turning slightly, "I really am sorry for what I did."

He brushed a hand along her hair, "I know. I just wanted to make sure you understood that at least you wouldn't have to deal with that possibility. Plus, I was only here for a bit over two years, and that kid is close to nine. I happened to be wandering around Cyrodiil about that time; getting into all kinds of trouble and interesting situations, and they only arrived here from Black Marsh less than a year ago. We were already together and far from Black Marsh."

She smiled slightly and nodded again before turning back to the bucket of soapy water. Talen knew it would be a sleepless night for him, but at least she knew about his past and the circumstances that put them on the path to their destined meeting.

 

* * *

 

After killing two snowy sabrecats, three wolves, and five skeevers to fulfill the extermination contracts, the two of them took a few minutes to stop at their wagon and check it over. They grabbed something to eat and add their pay into the box. Talen updated their journal and removed a few of the gems and some of the odd coins from their boxes before locking it all back up again and sliding the crate back in front of the hidden catch and locking it into place.

"Let's go to the bank and gem dealer and see what these are worth. I also want to stop at the Skyrim Real Estate Office," Talen said to her as she locked the wagon back up.

"Alright, but I can't see living here. It wouldn't take any time at all before I get arrested for mouthing off or something about how the elves and argonians are treated."

He snorted then adjusted his fur cloak about his shoulders. "I still want to look. If there is something here that would suit us, even if it's temporary, maybe we can hire one or two of the argonians and help. They, in turn, could help the others."

"You mean to hire the female and the extra funds we would pay would go to help that kid, don't you."

He glanced at her, "Maybe. But not just that. A few of them told me about their situations and asked for help in making it better for them. One of the highborn nords runs the docks; he pays them a pittance. They don't mind the hard work, glad to have it actually, but they want better pay than what they are getting now. Think about it. Eight Septims barely buys one meal, let alone enough for them to eat well, or buy clothes and medicine."

"We'll talk to the guy and see what we can do."

The trip to the bank infuriated Talen even more than some of the deals the merchants gave them on the equipment. They were clearly giving him a different rate than what they would have a nord. He gathered up the gems and coins, tucking them into his pouch before walking out of the bank and finding Shalaree next door in the Real Estate Office. She had a new journal open and a stack of listings for Windhelm and the surrounding area on a podium in front of her.

"Finding anything?"

She nodded and kept writing. "Yeah, I'm glad Sadri had a couple of mostly unused journals in his stash. He gave me one that looked like it should have been a young girl's diary, a business ledger that only had two entries in it; one showing the date the store opened and the date it shut down, and this one. There's a surprising amount of properties for sale. When I was making deliveries yesterday, I didn't notice any of these. I took down the ones I was interested in, and I'm copying the pertinent data into the journal. I'll stick them back up there when I've finished. I also sent a courier to Do'Jahirr."

Talen grunted and started to read the listings that she turned upside down. "Some of these are just land, Shalaree."

"Yeah, nice size sections outside of town. We can have something built while we're out exploring and doing the traveling thing if the builder's costs are reasonable and there's fresh water nearby. Won't hurt to find the spots."

He kept flipping through the papers; several were apartments in the Gray Quarter. Two were businesses in the Stone Quarter that had apartments as part of the building. Two were small homes located between the docks and the main gate. Three homes were in the Valundstrad and were out of their current price range, but she wanted to see them anyway. One was a farm house outside of Windhelm that neither one remembered seeing when they were there earlier doing exterminating tasks. And one had his eye ridge plates raising; she had written down a hostel in the Stone Quarter that was currently shut down. True, it would have enough room for them and storage of their goods, but neither one knew how to run an inn, and it was expensive. He shook his head and turned over another sheet, "Shalaree? I don't think we're going to be able to afford anything with the word, Estate, in the name. There isn't even a price on this listing." He said as he held up one of the sheets of paper to show her.

"You never know. Look. There's enough work for us in this area for the next month alone. And if we're going to do this, settle down and be a family, adopt a kid, the whole shebang... then I want a nice place. Even if we start out with an apartment, we'll have somewhere to live, other than the wagon, when we aren't traveling. We can always sell it later."

"Alright. Alright. It's just some of these are really out of our price range. I don't know how the people would react to having an argonian living in one of the nicest sections of Windhelm... inside the walls anywhere actually," he whispered so it wouldn't travel the bosmer elf that leaned on the counter and blatantly eavesdropped on them.

"How did it go at the bank?"

She heard a growl come from him. "That good, huh?"

"Let's just say we go only with the gold we have on hand and get paid with. No more gems, no bits or bobs, just cold, hard Septims while we remain in this town."

"Fair enough, although that cuts down our jobs considerably. And one of the requests offered an entire leg of cured goat in payment for the delivery of a cartload of firewood. I already did that one. The leg is hanging inside the wagon, it wouldn't fit inside the barrel," Shalaree said as she continued to scribble in her journal.

"Guess we'll be eating goat stew, goat sandwiches, goat steak, and what you called goat kabobs for the next couple of weeks?"

"Kind of. I also traded one of those barrels of brined dragon meat for mammoth chunks, a big basket of potatoes, carrots, leeks, and onions. They threw in a bag of salt for free when I told them the story of how we came by the dragon meat." She laid down the quill and capped her small inkpot before picking up the papers and tacking them back up on the listing wall. "There. We've got some time yet before it gets dark. Let's go check some of these out and stop at the notice board. The only ones that are left are for some out of town jobs, the bounties, and two delivery requests from the court wizard to the College."

 

* * *

 

They stood outside of the homes near the docks. All they could see were metal doors set into the stone walls.

"Are you sure this is right, Talen?"

Talen looked at the addresses in the book she had written and again at the tiny nameplates next to the doors. "Yep. This is it."

"But it can't be. The ad said would be apartment homes. One bedroom with a living room that included a wood-burning stove, kitchen without an oven, and a storage closet. These are just doors in a wall."

They turned when someone cleared their throat. "Are you here about the homes?" The nord male asked, and Shalaree nodded. Talen tightened his grip on a dagger he held against his forearm. "Well, it's true they look like doors built into the wall, but they actually open up to a flight of stairs that lead down under the wall. The homes are underground. The architect built them as safe rooms for a rather eccentric man and his family. The man believed that if the civil war came to Windhelm that he could take his family and shelter them in those homes and not be found or bothered. He expected everyone to think they were doors into the walls for guards and the like to move around in. I've seen both of them, and they're identical. They are also cramped and can become damp if we have a wet winter. No place to raise a family, and you have to be careful since there isn't really much ventilation, like chimneys. The smoke could overwhelm a person if they didn't crack the doorway and that's dangerous to leave your door open like that. He moved out of Windhelm a few months ago. Talos only knows what he's up to now. If you're new in town why don't you stop by my shop? Well, a shop may be the wrong term, it's more of a museum. Calixto's House of Curiosities. It's just a few streets over, and I've got many items that are unique and full of historical value. Only two Septims to spend the afternoon looking at the wondrous artifacts."

Shalaree looked at Talen who shook his head no, and she sighed before she reached for her inkpot and quill to scratch off the listings. They thanked the man and told him they would think about visiting him, then went to look at the new notices on the board. Two of the largest farms posted help wanted ads for bringing in the wheat harvest. "We're heading out there anyway might as well make some money, they're offering gold for each bundle of wheat we bring in."

 

* * *

 

They arrived at the first farm shortly after nine in the morning and began working. Three hours later they had all of the wheat cut and bundled, and the woman counted out the gold Septims --twice-- before she handed them over. They nodded, wiped their brows, and drank from their waterskins as they walked to the next farm where Shalaree had already been to once before to deliver the meat. The nord man greeted her then told them that the tools were on the bench and freshly sharpened, then he called for his two dogs and disappeared inside his home for the next four hours while Shalaree and Talen brought in the wheat.

Shalaree groaned and rubbed her lower back as they trudged further down the road where the directions to find the farmhouse for sale was. "That was ridiculous. How much money did we make?"

"Both farms together or separate?" Talen asked as he rotated his shoulders. Shalaree shot him a look that clearly said stop messing around, and he sighed. "One hundred and twenty Septims together."

They heard someone calling out to wait, and they looked over to see an old woman making her way over to the fence. "Are you the two people who helped Tulver and Bolfrida with their wheat?"

Shalaree tried not to groan as she spied the wheat fields behind the woman. Talen sighed and nodded. They headed toward the fields when the woman asked for their help and was willing to pay gold for it.

Talen reached into his pack and brought out their lanterns and held them while Shalaree placed new candles inside and lit them. They began their slow walk once more toward the farmhouse. Finally, after another hour they stood outside of it. The fence needed major repairs as did the thatching on the roof. The gate hung crooked, and Talen carefully opened it so they could walk through. High, scraggly grass grew in clumps that must have once been called a front yard while overgrown, fallow fields extended to both sides. The horse stable would need to be torn down and rebuilt, if it didn't fall on its own during the next storm, and neither one spotted a well.

"Maybe the inside is better? They're only asking 7,000 Septims for it," Shalaree said as she gingerly tested the first porch step.

"Only? It would cost us three times that in outside repairs alone, Shalaree. And with the thatching like it is, the floor on the inside and ceiling beams are probably rotted. This place could collapse at any minute. Not to mention having to remove that giant rock pile along the back of the house, and repairing the damage from it." The porch menacingly creaked as Talen put part of his weight on it and he shook his head. She nodded, and they started back toward their campsite for a quick meal before bed.

It was late morning before they both felt like they rested enough. Talen updated the money and food stock journals as Shalaree packed several sandwiches and hunks of cheese in a paper, and put them in their packs. They both agreed that today would be a day of rest and all they were going to do was to look at the other homes and see the agent if they found one or two they liked.

"This Estate that you want to look at along with two pieces of land are between Windhelm and Kynesgrove. We'll take the horses or else most of the day will be spent walking. Best to wear our armor."

Two hours later they arrived at the first piece of land. The view was incredible; they could see all of Windhelm from there and could just make out the boats traveling the river. Talen said that it would cost a small fortune in Septims or months of labor to clear the rocks and boulders to make a decent sized home, but it was still a possibility. They could use the rocks to offset some of the building needs.

The second land location led them right next to a cave that had become home to several snowy sabrecats. After dispatching them and checking the cave, Shalaree shook her head no and crossed that one off. The number of bones they found in the cave clued her in that it had been home to more than just that set of animals and must have been a favored hunting ground for them.

Halfway between the two towns, they stopped to rest, and Talen pointed to a small, well-maintained path to the left. A lamp post was at the corner and looked to be fairly new. "I think this is the lane the ad mentioned," he said as he took a huge bite of the goat and cheese sandwich. They started up the lane, finishing their lunch as they went. Shalaree stopped dead in her tracks at the grand house they came upon.

"There is absolutely no way in our Hist blessed dreams we are going to be able to afford this anytime soon, Shalaree."

He sighed when she didn't answer only followed her as she headed off to the right. The three stall horse stable off to the side with an enormous fenced paddock of sweet meadow hay and grass stood there looking strong and built to last. He caught up to her as she rounded the backside of the home to see a greenhouse, walled off garden plots, and a smithy building. They continued around the other side of the home where a porch that faced the west would have a gorgeous sunset. When they stepped up on the front porch a large signboard with a scroll tacked to it was nailed to one of the posts. "Home for Sale. See Skyrim Real Estate for early viewing. Auction to be held 10th of Sun's Dawn. Starting bid is set at 25,000 Septims."

She looked at him, and he sighed. "That's next month. I don't know if we'll make that kind of money in so short a time Shalaree. If there are more bidders... I just don't know, but if we have at least the starting bid, we'll come and try our luck."

She grinned and kissed his cheek before pressing her nose against one of the windows trying to see inside through the thick panes of somewhat opaque glass. He tugged at the metal collar of her armor, and they started back toward town.

The apartments in the Gray Quarter were close to each other. One was in a corner near the New Gnisis Cornerclub and the other down several steps and above another home. It appeared someone had made themselves comfortable outside of that one, a pile of blankets and several books on Necromancy were outside the door. Talen toed one of the other books around so he could read it better and found it was a book about Boethiah, the Daedric Prince of deceit, treachery, conspiracy, and sedition. Talen shook his head no and pulled her from the area.

The previous owner of the next apartment had made an attempt at making the dwelling into a home. There were several ash yams planted in a single row and some sad looking tundra cotton planted in a pot next to the door.

"How much are they asking for this?"

Shalaree looked at the journal entry, "Three thousand. It's only one large room downstairs and a single bedroom above."

They went to view the hostel and the other homes after stopping for dinner. Talen pointed out the upper story veranda of the hostel was serving as roofs for several stall vendors who had hooked some of their wares to the rafters and beams. Some of them even had signboards nailed to it with their business names on them. "Well, that's not good. It looks like they made themselves right at home after the hostel closed. Let's go take a closer look at the street level part of it," Talen said and once again noticed the vendors had their wares piled up on barrels and crates stacked up against the building. The vendors blocked some of the hostel's windows with their items. A pile of ragged blankets, empty mead, and wine bottles lay strewn near or against the doorway. It indicated someone used the area as a bed. "Whoever buys this place won't be making friends with the vendors, that's for sure. Not if they want to clean up the area for their customers."

Their next stop was to look at the two businesses with attached apartments. Both of them were off the beaten track and hard to locate. One had a broken window, and as Talen peered inside, he saw several rats scurrying about. The second one was down a dark alleyway, and Talen drew his dagger and palmed it as Shalaree slipped on her claws. They looked at each other as they drew nearer, knowing if they were feeling the tension and the eyes upon them then there would be very few willing customers to visit them. They took a look at the soot-blackened windows and the dark-clothed men who eyed their armor and pouches before turning to leave. They left the alley leaving one man dead and two bleeding.

The outside of the two single homes in the Stone Quarter for sale was well maintained. Lamps hung on small posts near the doors, and empty pots sat near the entryways. Shalaree looked at her journal and told Talen the first home was 10,000 Septims, single bedroom, but it had a bathing chamber and fireplaces. The other one was 8,000 Septims had no bathing area or fireplace but did have an oven, wood stove, and one bedroom.

The homes in the Valundstrad were just as he thought they would be, well maintained, quite large, and very expensive. And just as he knew would happen the looks and comments about him being there started almost as soon as they stopped in front of the first home for sale. Shalaree ignored them and moved from home to home stopping to add small notes into her journal.

Night fell, and they went back to their camp. Tomorrow they had set aside for bandit hunting, but first, they wanted a closer look at the apartment in the Gray Quarter.


	37. Chapter 37

* * *

 

 

They stood outside the apartment waiting for the elf to show up the next morning finally. Fifteen minutes past the appointment time the bosmer came walking up, sidestepping a pile of filth in the street and muttering to herself about the dirty dark elves. The realtor gingerly touched the door handle and wiggled the key in the lock before stepping back so they could open it. The inside was so dark that Talen snapped his fingers and sent a magelight toward one of the walls.  
  
The building was empty. No furniture at all and the windows would need a good scrubbing inside and out to become clean enough to let in a decent amount of natural light. No fireplace, no cook-stove, no wood stove to heat the place. Talen’s jaw tightened, and he sent another magelight toward the other wall. No rugs on the stone floors and the only way to get to the upper floor where the bedroom was, happened to be a rickety looking ladder.  
  
“There’s no way to heat this place safely. No vents,” Talen said, and he heard the elf behind him mutter open a window. Shalaree heard her also, and Talen heard a crack sound coming from her neck which usually meant she was getting upset with someone and was about to pounce on them. “We’ve seen enough. We’ll get back to you.”  
  
They were halfway to the stable when Shalaree asked if he was serious about getting back to that real estate agent about the apartment. His sharp answer of, “No,” pretty much told her how pissed he was at this new development with finding a home. They still had the one option in the Stone quarter if they could make another two thousand Septims before someone else bought it and if it was livable.

 

* * *

  
  
The bandit camp they needed to clear for the bounty was in a cave not far from Anga’s sawmill. Talen halted the horses when he smelled wood smoke. They tied them to a tree nearby and drew their bows. Two arrows and two dead bandits now lay sprawled on the snow in a small campsite outside the cave. He motioned to Shalaree to not bother looting the bodies yet. She shrugged and followed him into the icy cave.  
  
They followed a short hallway passing by a few pieces of loot piled up on a table until the cave forked left and right. Talon pointed to the left, and Shalaree nodded and turned to the right. Both passageways led to the same room, and they were able to flank the two bandits standing guard and take them down with very little noise to alert anyone else in the cave.  
  
Talen found the key to open the door on the north wall, and they moved through the hallway taking note of the kitchen and storage room halfway along the passage. Further along, they came to two closed wooden doors. They each picked a door, and Talen whispered, “Now” and they both flung open their doors startling the occupants. Talen’s room had two bandits that fell quickly to his bow while Shalaree seemed to be taking great delight in beating the bandit chief to a pulp. Talen leaned against the wall and watched for a moment as the chief and Shalaree circled each other before they lunged. Another minute and the bandit fell to a broken neck. They methodically searched the area and took everything of any value before they headed back to town to turn in their bounty.  


* * *

  
  
***Two Weeks Later***

  
  
Talen counted out the money one more time and entered it in the journal along with the updated inventory and shopping lists. Shalaree cleaned up her work area and put everything away before latching the table of the alchemy station back into place.  
  
“How much?”  
  
Talen showed her the entry.   
  
“Eight thousand three hundred and fifty-two Septims. We’re not going to have anywhere near the 25,000 to put a bid on that house are we?”  
  
He shook his head no. “We have enough to go and take a look at the small one in the Stone Quarter, but if we buy it, we’re nearly broke and living on what we can scrape up around here. If the gem changer would offer a decent rate for those gems, we may have a few thousand Septims to our names afterward. But they are worse than the pawnbrokers. The jobs aren’t paying well anymore, and fewer are offering gold. Instead, it’s some piece of Aunt Ester’s stoneware or something. I think it might be time for us to move on.”  
  
Shalaree leaned back against a barrel and crossed her arms. “Are you going to be okay with leaving that kid behind? You’ve been spending more of your free time on the docks with him and the other argonians.”  
  
Talen rubbed his feathered head and after a moment nodded. “I’ve done all I can do for them. With your help in talking to that nord, we got them better pay at least. And we gave them a small barrel of brined meat to help with food. They’ve started growing vegetables in small pots as well. If it’s alright maybe we can leave in a day or two?”  
  
“Let’s go take a look at the house before making the decision to leave,” she said to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. He leaned down and nuzzled her. It had been the first time he had made any move to touch her more than adjusting her armor or healing her since they had spoken of his past.  
  
The elf opened the door to the home in the Stone Quarter then stood back so Talen and Shalaree could enter the building. The door of the single level home opened into a small open area broken up by strategically placed cabinets. The kitchen had a little oven with a small, flat metal surface for a stew pot or kettle to heat on. One counter top and no storage cupboards. The sitting and dining area took up the rest of the open area and had a small wood stove in the corner of the room that vented out through the back wall near the ceiling. The only other door led to a small room with one tiny window that faced a stone wall. If they placed only a bed and chest in the room, there might be space in one of the corners for a wash stand.   
  
Talen leaned against the wall as Shalaree opened the door of the wood stove and bent over to peer inside. He knew she was giving him time to decide on whether to stay in Windhelm to be with the other argonians or to leave.  
  
He took a deep breath and turned toward the elf as he said, “Give us the night to think it over. We’ll contact you first thing in the morning if we decide to take it. If you don’t hear from us one hour after you open, then we’ve passed on it.”  
  
Shalaree watched him pace next to the campfire before he turned to toss in a single branch and begin to pace again before stopping to look back at the dock area. She had told him it was up to him on whether they would stay or go, either way, she would stay with him, and they would make a go of it. She wasn’t sure what he would decide, but he had told her that he would let her know when he woke her for her turn at watch. She settled back onto her cot and continued to look at him long past the time that she should have fallen asleep.  
  
They would be leaving the next day, and Talen approached Shalaree to ask if it was alright to spend the night in town. She could restock what they needed, and he’d have a bit more time with the argonians. She smiled and agreed. She suggested he spend the night at the Assemblage and meet her at daybreak outside the stables. He refused at first, and she stroked his face and told him to spend time with his friends, it might be a while before they made it back that way.  
  
After Talen gave her a quick nuzzle he hurried toward the dock while she went to pick up the few items from the court mage to take to the College of Winterhold. She paused on the stone steps when she heard her name called. A courier told her he had a letter for her and gave it to her before rushing off.  
  
Inside the inn, she purchased the smallest room and walked up the Inn’s second floor to sit at a small table near the bards. She opened the letter and read the response from Do’Jahirr thanking her for telling him about the word wall. He told her all about his adventures so far and the people he met. She smiled when he described the old monks and the trek up the mountain to meet them. He said he would be on his way to Riften and may have already made it there by the time she received the letter. He said he hoped that their paths would cross again soon.   
  
She stood to go to her room when she heard a woman call out, “Oh, I’m glad I ran into you, dear. I’m Viola, the one looking for the gold ring. After you had left the other day, I was stacking the next set of warning pamphlets to take with me to hand out when I looked into a drawer I hadn’t opened in weeks, and there it was. I must have dropped it in there when I wasn’t paying much attention. This whole murder business has me rattled, you know. I just wanted to let you know you don’t need to keep looking for it.”  
  
Shalaree tried to look surprised then smiled, “I’m glad you found it. From the description, you gave it was more than just a ring to you. Thanks for letting me know.”  


* * *

  
  
Shalaree hitched up the horses and restocked their oats before dawn. She moved several freshly filled water skins and pouches of dried venison to the small space built into the wagon for quick snacks so they wouldn’t have to stop, and finally, she placed several of the thick pelts back into the compartment under the bench seat before she climbed on the wagon to wait for Talen. And she waited. And waited. At one point she stiffly climbed down and covered the horses with blankets and gave them several handfuls of hay to eat before climbing back up into the seat and wrapping a fur around herself.  
  
Mid morning came and went, and Shalaree climbed back down. She paid the stable owner to watch the horses while she went into town to see what kept her companion. The elf looked at her with a hint of pity in his eyes and nodded. She hurried toward the town and stopped three-quarters of the way over, her cybernetic eyes adjusted on several blurs on the docks until they came into focus. The light glinted off a horn cuff on a green argonian who had just been handed something, and she watched as he ran it across his feathered head and down his bare chest before pulling a shirt over his head. A small argonian child ran up to the green one, and she heard laughter come from the child as the adult picked him up and draped him over his shoulder. She waited long enough until the green argonian turned and she recognized Talen’s tail armor before she turned around and started back across the bridge. When she reached the stables, she thanked the elf and removed the blankets from the horses. She climbed up to the bench seat of the wagon and gathered the reins in her hands after she released the brake and clicked to the horses. The wagon began moving slowly down the road back toward the stone bridge.  
  
Shalaree stopped at Anga’s Mill to restock her firewood. Having to chop her own after spending all day freezing her ass off on the wagon wasn’t something she was looking forward to, so she wanted to fill the box completely up before starting on the long leg of the journey. It was there that Talen caught up to her. He was out of breath, and it was evident he had been running.  
  
He stood staring at her and holding his sides while trying to catch his breath. She turned her back to him and went back to loading the firewood into the box on the side of the wagon.  
  
“Sha- Shalaree, I can... I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking. By the time I realized what the hell I was doing it was long past daybreak and you’d left. I could- I could only hope you stayed with the plan to go to the College and that I’d catch up to you.”  
  
She didn’t say a word but closed and locked the firebox and pulled the water bucket off the back of the wagon before walking to the well. She hauled up a bucket of water and carried it back to the wagon. Talon tried to take it from her, and she sidestepped him.  
  
“Please.”  
  
“Maybe it’s best if you returned to the other argonians. I hadn’t realized it would be so difficult for you to leave them. You’ve been away from your people for a long time, Talen-Ai. I can swing back around after the College to see if you want to continue or if you’d rather stay there. I’ll be fine. I’ve got the wagon and the map.”  
  
“No. No, I want to come with you; to be with you. I- there was so much reminiscing and sharing of stories from Black Marsh. Clan tales and stories of their journeys. The child, Renhaa-Jei, kept asking me for more stories. The women had cooked so much food, and the Assemblage rang with laughter. It- it was like having a clan again.”   
  
He didn’t tell her one of the females offered to share her bedroll with him. He had refused, but right now she didn’t need to hear that. She didn’t ever need to hear about that, and he wasn’t stupid enough to tell her.  
  
“I woke up before dawn and in the middle of putting my armor on some of the men asked if I wanted to help gather river pearls. Then Renhaa wanted to show me his favorite fishing spot, and one thing led into another. It wasn’t until I heard the mid-day call for the changing of the guards that I realize what I had done. I ran for the gates, but you were gone; rightfully so. I checked for tracks, found the ones for the wagon, and started to run. I kept running and praying I’d find you. Just let me--”  
  
Shalaree put the bucket back and climbed up on the seat. Before she could release the brake, he scrambled up on the wagon and prayed he wouldn’t do something so foolhardy again.  


* * *

  
  
Four hours later they both jumped when an arrow came from out of nowhere and thunked into the side of the wagon. Shalaree snapped the reins, and the horses broke into a short burst of speed. Talen leaned around the corner of the wagon and saw someone or something standing on a rampart that he thought had just been an abandoned fort.  
  
As soon as Shalaree found a spot, she pulled the wagon into a copse of trees and hopped down. Talen watched the direction they had come from while she checked the horses before she yanked the arrow from the side of their wagon and threw it away. She locked the brake while he restocked his potions and removed the traps from the side lockbox and prepared the wagon. After Shalaree had fastened the blankets to the horses, she slipped on her claws and drew a staff with a nod.  
  
Less than ten minutes later they scouted the ruins through the cover of some thick shrubs and trees. They waited and watched to see who shot that arrow at them. Talen hissed when the skeleton came into view.  
  
“Necromancers are here. That’s not a draugr,” Talon said as he drew his sword and readied an elemental bolt in his other hand. Shalaree gripped the flame bolt staff tighter and nodded. A second later the skeleton was slammed by a bolt and flew off the rampart. Shalaree and Talen ran for the entrance and met the oncoming necromancer and skeleton with a blast from her staff and his hand.  
  
The large open courtyard of the abandoned fort had two skeletons and two necromantic mages now laying dead in it. Shalaree grabbed all of the potion ingredients from the small alchemy table that they found tucked inside a half-rotted shed. Talen dropped the handful of coins into his pouch then slipped the bows the skeletons carried into his pack. There were two wooden doors visible to them where they stood in the yard. One on the ground level and one on the level above it. They opted for the ground floor door and moved toward it.  
  
A short staircase led to a landing with a skeleton standing guard on it. Talen quickly dispatched it and added the sword to his pack while Shalaree fitted the shield onto hers. The landing opened out into two wings, and they quickly searched them both, finding only rotten buckets and trash; there was nothing of any value. They started down another staircase and hesitated when they saw it opened into a large room. Talen crouched on the shadowed stairs and studied the room.  
  
“Tables, chairs, two shelving units, a weapons rack, and one necromancer studying something lying on one of the tables. I only see one chest and one double door.”  
  
Shalaree nodded and as quietly as she could removed her bow and Talen handed her a single orcish arrow. She took a breath and released it as she crouched down, one more breath as she aimed and released it as she let go of the bowstring. Whatever was on the table went clattering to the floor as the body of the mage jerked and knocked the small table over as their weight dropped on it.  
  
They looted the room finding a coin pouch, a key, several potions, and a variety of low-quality weapons. Talen wrapped them in strips of cloth torn from the ruined mage’s robe as he slid them into his pack. Shalaree opened the chest and laid out the coins, rolls of paper, ink pots, a broken quill, an amethyst and ruby, two lockpicks, and a bottle of Black-Briar Mead.  
  
She dropped the ink pots and quill back into the chest and closed it then put the rest into her pouch or pack.  
  
Talen moved to the double door and edged them open enough for the two of them to slip through. A foul stench wafted up from the stairs leading down, and they moved slowly down them. A clattering of bones and a sneeze from the illuminated area at the bottom of the stairs brought them to a stop.  
  
The necromancer and skeleton at the bottom barely caused them any trouble, and they quickly looted the corpse. When Shalaree and Talen got a better look at the area, they saw it was a prison. Shalaree found a way to get to the upper level and started up the stairs as Talen used the key he found to open the cell doors and searched the small rooms in case someone hid something in one.  
  
When Talen joined her in the other room, he began to toss the bedrolls off the bunks to search them. They found coins and ingredients, a few books that were still readable and Talen slid those into his pack. He found a potion inside a cupboard drawer and added it to his pack as Shalaree opened up another chest. She put everything of any value into her pack and held out a key she found in the loose straw on the floor. Visibly it looked to be a match to the other one, so they dropped it into the chest before going back out into the other room and opening a small door. Against the far wall was a ladder that led up. Talen went first and shouldered the trap door open, and they found themselves back out in the courtyard.  
  
They climbed a few slippery steps and stood outside the other door they had noticed from the courtyard earlier. When they opened the door, they were immediately attacked by another necromancer. This one proved to be more powerful, and they had to fight not only the mage but a zombie it had raised as well.   
  
After Talen had healed them both, they began to search the room. They laid their findings on a table and Talen began to sort it all. Coins, soul gems of varying sizes, and several spell scrolls. Each of the mages carried an enchanted dagger, several sets of robes and boots that he bundled together. He added a few more non-magical books, a variety of spell ingredients, and clutter items Shalaree wanted to their packs.   
  
Talen handed Shalaree a folded, stained piece of paper and she held it near the light from a candle to read what is said. It was a potion recipe. “For a resiste of cold poison, wait that’s been struck through and rewritten as potion, mix the juicy bits of a gord... ugh, the spelling is atrocious. And what the hell are the ‘juicy bits of a gourd?’ And the orange salts from a flame atronic...antonrac...they’ve scratched those out and wrote flame summins, with an I instead of an O. Heat until just to boiling, let it cool down, so the bottle don’t break and then pour it in and put a cork in it.” She looked at Talen and shook her head, “There is no damn way I’m trusting this one.” She tossed the scrap of paper to the floor and helped him pack up their loot. They tried the ladder that led to another trap door in the ceiling. They found an altar covered in dried blood, a blood encrusted dagger, a nest with a small orange speckled egg in it, and Talen bent to gather the flowers from a nightshade plant carefully.  
  
Shalaree picked up the two containers of alchemical salts and a scroll. Talen glanced at the writing on the outside of the scroll and tucked it into his pouch.  
  
While she started a small fire going Talen brought the wagon into the courtyard. He dragged the bodies of the necromancers to the east wall and tossed them over the side and kicked the skeleton bones through the lower doorway as Shalaree set about fixing a light meal before taking the first watch.  


* * *

  
  
Just after sunrise, Talen guided the horses back onto the main road heading North-East. Two hours later Shalaree pointed to cave off to the right, and he slowed down and brought the wagon to a stop a short distance from the cave opening. He looked at the head stuck on a sharpened spike and at the two pieces of fencing on either side of the cave and shifted on the bench.  
  
“I’m not so sure about that one Shalaree. I’ve been in a cave with totems like that before, and I almost died.”  
  
Shalaree shifted and looked at him.  
  
“There are creatures called Falmer that live in such caves. Mutated creatures, blind and mute, but can hear a breath from across the room. They are dangerous and deadly, Shalaree. They also have creatures they keep for their hard shells that spit a strong, acidic poison.”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
Talen adjusted his grip on the reins while keeping an eye on the entrance of the cave. “It was supposed to be a small job. A retrieval. A thief stole from someone who put out a bounty for their death and return of the heirloom. The clues led to the thief using a cave as a hideout. Only the thief either didn’t know or care about the oddities that were there. Human skulls, pieces of those fence like structures, strange looking broken arrows. I found evidence the thief had been there and looked a bit deeper inside, I found a tunnel and followed it a short way. That’s when I stumbled onto the Falmer. The thief was already dead. The creature turned so fast and shot me with an arrow before I had gotten over the shock of seeing such a thing. It took everything I could do just to kill one of those things, and when a disgusting looking bug with a shiny black carapace came skittering out of a hole to help the damn thing I almost didn’t make it. The poison is fast-acting and strong. I used up all my healing potions, magic potions, and the single cure poison potion I carried to make it back out of there. And that was just one of those things. If that is a big cave system, I’m not so sure we’re prepared enough for a large contingent of the things.”  
  
She looked back at the cave and slowly nodded, “Then we don’t go in. We prepare ahead of time. There are two of us, so there’s a better chance now, and you’re stronger than you used to be with magic.”  
  
He clicked his tongue and agreed with her; he just couldn’t get the nightmare vision of that mutated, gray-skinned creature out of his head.   
  
Two hours later the wind started to pick up, and snow started falling. They drew nearer to a group of people, and they shouted to the guard asking how far they were from Winterhold. The guard shouted back that they were at the Whistling Mine. If they stuck to the road, they would make it to town in three hours. If conditions worsened, it could be longer.  
  
Talen yelled his thanks and clicked at the horses moving them as fast as he safely could. They saw a tiny settlement ahead, and Talen yelled they should stop there and wait out the storm then continue into town. When they pulled in, they found the settlement was actually the city of Winterhold.  
  
A Winterhold guard held a torch in his hand and stumbled against the wind, moments later the torch sputtered and went out, and the guard threw it down in disgust. Talen jumped down and shouted a question to the guard. The man nodded and waved his hands then turned, and almost fell as a huge gust of wind blew up behind him and sent him pitching forward.   
  
Talen walked against the wind and clamored up onto the bench with a little help from Shalaree, and with an effort the horses got the wagon moving to behind a large building. “This is the stable and Inn. The guard said we could set up anywhere as long as we don’t do it in someone’s yard. Then he told me that this was all that remained of the grand City of Winterhold.”  
  
They hurriedly unhitched the horses and got them settled in the stable before going into The Frozen Hearth Inn to pay for their keep and to get more information.


	38. Chapter 38

* * *

 

The Innkeeper gladly told them the tale of the Great Collapse many years ago. Shalaree shook her head over the fact that the Jarl of the hold would rather complain and blame the mages for it than to put in the effort to rebuild and just left it a ruin.  
  
They ate and decided that Talen should go up to the College while she tried to sell as many of the low-quality items as she could in the only general goods store the town had and would pick up any notice board requests. He would see if the College had any jobs when he dropped off the items from Windhelm and restocked their supply of soul gems, and ingredients.  
  
The wind still fiercely blew as they made their way around the building and fought to get inside the wagon without the door being grabbed by the wind and blown off.  
  
Talen bundled up the enchanted gear and all of the necromancer’s things they had picked up before he quickly went through the inventory list to see what they needed to restock for Shalaree’s potions. He noted to buy any soul gems they had in stock since all they had been finding were the small petty sized ones. He removed several hundred Septims and jotted it down in the ledger before putting everything in his pack and warning her he was opening the door.  
  
Talen wrapped the heavy fur cloak tighter around himself as he weaved and stumbled his way through the center of town heading for the ramp that would take him to the island where the College was.  
  
When he entered the first section of the semi-covered bridge, an Altmer who told him that the College wasn’t a place for sightseeing and only mages were allowed in stopped him from going further. If he wanted to become a member he had to prove to her he could cast spells.  
  
“I’m not interested in becoming a member of any guild or faction. All I want is to sell some enchanted armors I found, buy some soul gems and ingredients, and see what spell tomes you have for sale.”  
  
The elf began to shake her head, “Whether you want to join or not, you still have to prove you’re a mage and not just someone wanting in to cause trouble. All you need to do is to cast a spell--” She didn’t get to finish her sentence because Talen had hit her full force in the chest with an elemental bolt that sent her flying backward into the wall.  
  
“I’m cold, tired, and out of patience. I’ve had a rough week, and I don’t need this shit from you,” Talen said as he walked out the open entrance and past the brazier that lit up and shone a bright-blue light into the sky.  
  
Talen got the directions to the Lustratorium to purchase several ingredients for Shalaree that they hadn’t been able to restock since leaving Whiterun. He flipped through the recipe book looking for anything Shalaree may be interested in making before finally asking directions to the enchanter and mage’s goods seller. Once he finished selling the items, he followed the directions to the Arcanaeum to see if they had any tomes worth purchasing.  
  
He began to look over a paper an orc handed to him listing the available tomes when a dunmer tapped on the counter-top.  
  
“Hmm, are you a new student? I didn’t hear that we got a new one.”  
  
“I’m not a student; I’m just a hedge mage. The mage that ran the Lustratorium at the Arcane University in the Imperial City told my mate and me to come here once we reached Skyrim. She said it would be the only place to stock up on everything since the locals wouldn’t carry much and would view us with suspicion should we ask for magical items.”  
  
“Hmm, yes well, the nords do not like magic, past keeping their farm implements from wearing out, and the occasional housewife wanting something to ease her household chores. We had one send a note asking for a broom that would sweep the house by itself. Can you imagine? I don’t know where some of these people think up such strange things or why they believe that we have the power to make this stuff.”  
  
The orc laughed at what the dunmer said, “Savos, remember the woman who would send letters by courier every month insisting that if the Arch-Mage could sink half a town into the sea then surely he could make her a kettle that provided stews and soups on demand.”  
  
The elf laughed, “I remember that one Urag. What about the one that wanted an ever burning fire because they were tired of chopping firewood.”  
  
Talen-Ai grinned slightly and went back to reading over the listings.  
  
“Hmm, Urag... what do you think about asking this one to be the judge of the new spell contest? He’s a mage and by his own words not associated with any of the mage schools past shopping.”  
  
The orc leaned against the counter, “So, hedge mage, what kind of magic do you do?”  
  
Talen’s feathers ruffled. “Destruction and healing mostly. A few odd spells now and again, like Baltham’s Insight.”  
  
“Oh, now that’s not one you hear about very often. What about conjuration or alteration? Anything from those schools of magic,” the dunmer asked. He looked more interested in what Talen could do than before.  
  
“Not really, mostly the basic stuff; Candlelight and Magelight. I’ve not had much opportunity to expand out my spells. We’ve been on the road mostly, and with the prices in Cyrodiil, not much could be set aside for different tomes. The books I’ve found so far are basics, like flame and frost. Things I already know so I’ve sold them to your store since trying to sell anything in other towns doesn’t go over well.”  
  
“Hmm, I see... yes, I think this one would do nicely. Here’s the offer. The students here get bored at times, and bored mages can become dangerous mages. Six months ago someone designed a spell that they swore would make it like springtime in the Summerset Isles. Instead, it backfired, and the College ended up smelling like a sulfur pit for a month, and we had these strange blue and orange beetles getting into everything. The faculty decided to hold a spell crafting contest. So while the teachers tried to undo that horrendous spell, the students had to create individual spells. A judge would test them, and the best of the spells would be added to a new tome to be placed in the Arcanaeum. We have tomes dating back to the first Era here, and their spells would be added to the College’s collection to be kept safe for future mages.

Now, the faculty members all have their favorite students and subjects, and all of us knew that it would be highly unlikely that the judge would be impartial, so we’ve been waiting for someone to come that would be our judge. In exchange for doing this, we will provide all of the spells for free. All we ask is that you try them out and see how they perform and keep a careful record. At the end of say... three months time, you come back here, with those records and tell us what spells you found to be the most helpful and worthy of each of the schools. Oh, and we’ve split them up into levels, from the novice spells that pretty much anyone that can cast a candlelight spell can do, to ones that our soon to be graduating master level students have made up.”  
  
“Master level? I’m far from being able to cast anything like that,” Talen-Ai said as he laid the parchment back on the counter-top.  
  
The dunmer elf tutted and waved a hand, “Nonsense, all you need is practice so the spells can come easier. Surely, you’ve noticed that the more you cast a spell, the less it seems to drain your magic and stronger it becomes. When you think you’re ready to try Master level spells why don’t you come back and let the school's trainer give you a little test. You can turn in your reports then.”  
  
Talen was aware that the spells he could now cast were both stronger and came to him with more ease, especially now that he was adventuring and using his magic for more than just simple heals and starting up fires to cook and keep the animals away with.  
  
“Start with the novice ones, and if you’re able to do those with no problem try out the apprentice and continue. I’m pretty sure that if you practice these spells, and not all of them are combat so you can practice at any time, you’ll find yourself gaining skill and power rapidly,” the dunmer stroked his beard and observed the argonian. He could tell the moment when he decided to help.  
  
“They’re all free? I won’t have to come up with the Septims when I return?”  
  
“Nope, the spells are all free. Once you tested them all out and made your notes for us, it’s up to you which spells you use and which ones you didn’t like and can drop from your repertoire. But we need good records; how it worked in battle or outside of battle, did it work the way it was supposed to, did it last as long as it was supposed to, was the spell work easily learned and performed for the level of magic. Was the cost in mana consistent with the spell’s power and usage? That sort of thing, good detailed notes about them. And most importantly, the ones for each school and each level that you found best represented the school of magic, level, and usability.”  
  
Talen thought for another few moments then carefully gave his agreement wondering if they were just making fun of him or if they were serious.  
  
A smile lit the dunmer’s face, and he clapped his hands together, “Wonderful, I knew you’d be the one to help. Urag, get our friend here the judge’s copy of the books, and for being such a good sport and helping out, let him chose two spell tomes from our regular stash as a thank you.” The dunmer patted Talen on the back and stroked his beard before turning and whistling a merry tune as he walked toward one of the large metal doors into a different section of the college.  
  
The orc looked over Talen one more time then pointed to the parchment, “Well, which ones do you want? I’m not about to make several trips to the storeroom, and you better make it good ones, no sense in wasting this chance to get a master level book for free.”  
  
Talen grabbed up the paper again. “Call to Arms and Firestorm.”  
  
Urag grunted, “Good choices.”  
  
Thirty minutes later Talen stumbled under the weight of spell tomes as he tried to walk down the slippery ramp back into town without falling or dropping the books. He placed as many into his pack as would fit, and the librarian had scrounged up two sacks, and they put more inside those and tied them to a piece of rope then wrapped that around his armor. The rest he had to try and carry without dropping them or barely being able to see where he walked. How in the hell was he going to explain to Shalaree how he had got almost 200 spell tomes for free, and more importantly, where the hell was he going to put them all.  
  
  
*~*  
  
Shalaree opened up the various chests and removed the weapons and armor pieces they had collected since leaving Windhelm. She tucked the inventory journal into her pack before struggling with the wagon door and stumbling her way to the general goods shop. She stomped her feet on the half snow covered door sill to remove more of the packed on snow from her boots before she shoved open the wooden door.  
  
Heat from a blazing fire and the smells of food cooking met her as she entered the building. The two women who were inside looked up and smiled. The younger of the two moved behind the long counter that held an assortment of items and said, “Welcome to Birna’s Oddments. I don’t have much, but whatever you see behind the counter is for sale.”  
  
The older woman who still sat at a table made an “hmm hmm” sound, and Shalaree turned to look at her.  
  
“This is also the Winterhold and Dawnstar location for the Skyrim Real Estate and Courier Services. The owners also provide banking services, and as of a month ago we also handle the gem trade.”  
  
Shalaree’s eyebrows shot up. “Why so much for one person?”  
  
“Well, who would want to live here? Not much to do, and with most of the town gone, we get little enough trade as it is. Just those strange people that go up to the College. It made sense for the owners just to take over the other services when the people started to leave. Not like that strange bosmer is going to be leaving. The odd fellow is always up at the College, but he pays me to handle things in town. So if you need one of those services you come to me.”  
  
Shalaree nodded then started to unload her pack onto the counter. Once she haggled a bit and received her Septims, she noted the entries and went to look at the small board hanging on the wall that said “Listings.”  
  
“Anything you see that’s in town we can go to and see at any time. If it’s some place in Dawnstar or out in that god-forsaken wilderness, you better be certain you want to see it and can afford it. I don’t want to go dragging these old bones out in that cold so that you can have a looky-loo for the fun of it.”  
  
Shalaree gave her agreement and began to copy several listings into her small housing journal. She placed her journal back in her pack just as the door opened and a guard stepped inside.  
  
He looked around for a moment then approached Shalaree. “You are the one that owns that wagon at the back of the stable?”  
  
She nodded, “Yes, what’s wrong? We were given leave to park it anywhere that wasn’t on someone’s lawn.”  
  
“The Jarl wants to see you. He has a job for adventurers; if you’re up to it.”  
  
Shalaree slowly capped her inkwell and placed it and her quill into her pouch as she thought. “Alright, I’ll hear him out, but no guarantees that I’ll take the job.” She turned back to the woman sitting at the table. “I’ll be back shortly; there’s a house listing I’m interested in seeing here in town.”  
  
The woman’s eyebrow went up and a frown formed on her face, “...in town? Oh, that one.”  
  
Shalaree rubbed her chin as she thought about the woman’s reaction then shivered when the guard opened the door.  
  
She stood in front of the Jarl and slowly tapped her foot as the Jarl looked her up and down as if sizing her up to see if she would be capable of doing the task, to begin with.  
  
“Look, I appreciate that you’re the Jarl and everything, but I’ve got things to do. So either tell me of the job you want me to do, or I’ll be on my way.”  
  
The steward shifted on his feet, and one of the guards reached for his sword. Shalaree didn’t even blink at them, just continued to tap her foot.  
  
“Hmmph, very well, maybe you’ll be able to do it. Long ago the Helm of Winterhold was lost to the sea. It was on one of the ships that floundered during the Great Collapse and supposedly is somewhere off the coast. The coast line changed so drastically and so quickly that many ships have wrecked there. The name of the boat has been lost through time. I’ve sent several other adventurers looking, but none have returned. If I had that ruling symbol of Winterhold in my hands then maybe the other Hold’s rulers would recognize my authority.”  
  
“Did you ever think that maybe the boat is at the bottom of the ocean and the helm irretrievable?”  
  
“Of course I did. It’s a possibility, but unlikely. The water around here is nothing but icebergs and drift ice. Those are what cause most of the wrecks, and the boats have a habit of sticking to the ice and floating with it, even though they should have sunk. It’s the work of those damnable mages, I tell you. The loss of Winterhold, the Collapse, the waves that took half the town, but left that blasted College standing.”  
  
Shalaree waited to see if he was done complaining about the College before she said, “So, that’s it? Wander along the coast line and search any ship I come across for a helmet?”  
  
The Jarl shifted, and the steward cleared his throat, “Not quite. As you’ve heard the Great Collapse altered a great many things in this area, our maps are obsolete and have been so for too long. Travelers to this area are few and far between. Most travel by carriage and stay on the roads. We need someone to map the changes, and any locations they find starting at the edge of town to the coastline.”  
  
“That’s an enormous task. There are miles of shoreline.”  
  
The steward nodded and gestured to a map on the wall. “This map shows the old coastline. We’ve marked what changes that we’ve discovered, but as you can see it’s a small area. We just don’t have the men to send out to investigate, and we won’t ask the mages.”  
  
Shalaree glanced up and saw the man clenching his teeth together. “You don’t believe they had anything to do with the Collapse?” she whispered as she ran a finger along the red line on the map.  
  
“No. If the mages had that much power, they would have wiped out the town long ago. They’ve said mages didn’t do it and had gone out of their way to try and help the town. The Jarl is alienating them, and it’s the wrong thing to do. If we need their help against the dragons or attack from others... we’ll never survive without them. So that’s why we ask every adventurer that bothers to come this far North.”  
  
Shalaree rubbed her chin and said louder, “Alright. If I agree to this what am I going to get in return?”  
  
The Jarl said from where he still sat on a throne in the middle of the room, “We’ll give you the opportunity to purchase one of the last remaining building lots in town for a discount.”  
  
Shalaree stood there for a minute then made a snorting sound that drew the guard’s attention. “That was a horrible joke.”  
  
The steward cleared his throat again and shook his head slightly.  
  
“No joke?” she said weakly. When the steward put his hands behind his back, she started to laugh. “You better hope we can negotiate terms because right now the answer is a big, fat ‘no’ to your request.”  
  
The Jarl stood up from his chair and took several angry steps toward her, and she turned her head slightly, a single red eyebrow raised and her lips turned up into a smirk. The Jarl slowly came to a stop as he noticed a red glow beginning to light her eyes. “Jarl, that’s so not a good idea,” she hissed.  
  
The guards shifted nervously as the Jarl backed up two steps before turning his back to the newcomer and hurrying into a different room across the foyer.  
  
“I supposed we could negotiate. Follow me into the war room and let’s discuss options,” the steward said as he looked at the now closed door to the Jarl’s bedroom and the short redheaded woman that stood beside him with a cocked hip and crossed arms.  
  
An hour later with a signed and sealed document in her pouch Shalaree stepped out into the cold and hurried back down the street to the General Goods store.  
  
Shalaree stood at the counter as she went through the inventory journal and rattled off the items she needed to purchase if they were going to be exploring the area. The steward had mapped out where they were most interested in getting updates. It was a large section from just North of Windhelm along the coast, all the way to Dawnstar.  
  
Birna gathered up what she had in stock and noted it on a sheet of parchment before packing it into a crate. At least her lazy brother could deliver the box and make a coin or two instead of spending everything in the bar. When a horrendous crashing noise came from right outside the door, she jumped and dropped a small sack of sugar on the floor.  
  
Shalaree looked up when the crash happened and held out her hand signaling the other women to stay back. The thump came again, and she unclipped the staff from her back before moving toward the door. She gripped the handle and yanked the door open just as the foot that was drawn back to kick the door again flew forward and connected with her shin.  
  
“Ouch, what the hell. Watch what you’re doing dumbass... Talen?” Shalaree started yelling before she recognized the green feathers poking up above the stack of books that he held in front of him.  
  
“Thank the Hist. Shalaree, help me.”  
  
She slid the staff back into the holder and reached for the stack taking half what he had, and he groaned in appreciation before hurrying to the counter and plopping the stack down on it before leaning his head on them and sighing.  
  
“I’m not going to yell. I promise. But where the hell did you get all these damn books, and more importantly are we now completely broke?”  
  
He took several deep breaths before straightening up and rotating his shoulders. “No, we aren’t broke. And I’ll explain when we get back to the wagon, but I need to buy a crate or box or chest... something to keep these in and dry. It is-- unbelievable, but I need to keep these in good condition and safe. There are only two copies of this entire set of books in existence.”  
  
Birna glanced at the stacks and noticed the words and symbols would blur and move. She realized they were magic tomes. “I don’t think I have anything, wait... it’s not a chest or anything, but would an old whiskey barrel work? It’s clean and dry; I keep a few odds and ends in it.”  
  
Talen ruffled his feathers and nodded, “That would be perfect. My thanks.”  
  
Birna hurried into the storeroom, and they heard her moving things around.  
  
“Shalaree, did you find any homes to look at? What about work?”  
  
“Yes, to both. We’ve got a big job that’s liable to take a few months. There’s a home here in town and a few between here and Dawnstar. The woman who runs the service is also the banker and gem trader so you might want to check in with her about those strange coins while we finish up in here.”  
  
She tipped her head toward the old woman who stood in front of the cooking fire and stirred a pot. She nodded at his questioning look and turned back to Birna as the woman struggled with getting the barrel through the storeroom doorway.  
  
“Excuse me,” Talen said as the old woman turned and moved back to her seat. He glanced at a tiny sign that was nailed to the wooden beam behind her that said Services. “I found a few coins and would like to know what they’re worth since I’ve not seen them before.”  
  
“Well, where are they? Let’s take a look,” the woman said and reached into a small pack and took out a worn journal. Talen opened his hip pouch and dug around until he found several of the odd coins and laid them on the table in front of her.  
  
She picked one up and held it in the light of the candle and frowned before putting it down and picking up one of the other ones. She looked at that one too and put it down. “I don’t know if you’re trying to trick me or if these are real, but I’ve not seen these before. Either they’re fake or ancient. Either way, the woman that runs the money exchange outside of Solitude would know. She’s seen almost every type of coin from the Summerset Isle to Morrowind to Hammerfell.”  
  
Talen gathered up the coins and placed three gems on the table, “What about these?”  
  
She held them under the candlelight, then hummed and flipped a few pages near the back of her journal before looking at the emerald, sapphire, and garnet again. “I can offer you 1,500 Septims for the three of them. That’s the current buying rate as of the 1st of Evening Star. We don’t get updates from the Precious Gem & Unique Jewel Merchant every month. If you want the most current prices, well, you’ll just have to go to Solitude.”  
  
“I’ll take it,” Talen said and waited as the woman gathered up the gems and placed them in a small chest and locked it before pulling a piece of parchment, quill, and inkwell closer to make out a receipt and noting the transaction in the journal. Then she pulled out a key from somewhere in her baggy, worn apron and unlocked a nondescript chest. She carefully counted out the Septims and placed them in a small bag before locking the chest back up and sitting back down.  
  
“Fifteen hundred Septims. Count it, then sign the receipt, and initial beside the x in the journal.” After he did as she asked he put the coins in his pouch then joined Shalaree back at the counter. His feathers raised and he looked over the large box that contained various bags and sacks and at the list that Shalaree held in her hands.  
  
Once she had paid for everything, they began to stack the books carefully in the barrel and put the lid into place before they lifted it and made their way to the door. Birna told them that the supply crate would be brought to their wagon in a few minutes, she just had to kick her brother awake from his drunken stupor.  
  
After they had manhandled the barrel into the wagon, Talen jumped in and pulled it further inside they heard a male shouting at them as he weaved his way around the side of the Inn. Shalaree took the closed crate from him and quickly peeked inside before shoving it into the wagon. Once she was inside and had the door closed, she turned to Talen who lit several lanterns and hung them on their hooks.  
  
“Alright. Explain this to me first, then I’ll tell you about the job and what happened while you were gone.”  
  
Talen nodded and removed his gauntlets and tossed them in one of the baskets hanging on the side. “First, we got a few hundred Septims for the stuff we picked up from the necromancers that attacked us,” he said. Then he wiggled around and lowered the table that she used for alchemy before finding the tool to remove the lids from the water barrels, and popped the thick wooden lid from the whiskey barrel. He started to remove and stack the books on the table as Shalaree opened the crate and unpacked the items into the various chests and baskets on the inside of the wagon.  
  
“I purchased all the ingredients and soul gems we need, or they had in stock. All together it cost us 100 Septims after offsetting the income. I have the receipts, so we’ll need to fix the journals. After I had put the paper away, I went to the Arcanaeum to see what tomes they had for sale. That’s when the strangest thing happened,” he said as he turned to face her while holding several more tomes in his hands. “I was looking over the list, and this elf came up and started talking to me. He asked me if I was a student and what kind of magic I did. He didn’t seem to mind that I hadn’t attended a school and knew very little magic. He and the librarian started to talk together, and the next thing I knew he offered me all these spells for free if I’d agree to test them out and keep detailed records on my experience with them. He told me to come back in a couple of months and give him my reports. He even offered to have one of their trainers test me if I think I’m ready to do Master level spells... me, a Master mage? By the Hist, I didn’t buy them. I didn’t spend our money for these. He even had the librarian give me two master level tomes from their regular spell selection for free. Free, Shalaree and they typically cost 1,500 Septims each.”  
  
Shalaree leaned back against the now full food chests and slowly rotated the apple she held in her hand and watched him. Who would give that much stuff away? “What’s the catch?”  
  
Talen hesitated as he brought out the last of the books from the bottom of the barrel, “Well, I have to purchase my own journals for the notes. And I guess... since these are all untested, and written by students; there’s no telling if they’ll even work or if they’ll backfire, I suppose that is a catch.”  
  
Shalaree lowered her hand still holding the apple from where she was getting ready to bite into it and stared at Talen. “Wait... you’re serious? You know nothing about these spells? Nothing at all?”  
  
“Well, I know they come from the students up there and were written for a contest. The winner’s spells are going to be added to their purchase list and become part of their library, so they can’t all be... bad. They’re of all levels and schools, so some of the students must know what they’re doing. And technically I only need to use each one a few times, so that I can have notes on them. If it’s a bad spell, I can just do a write-up and not cast it anymore, but there’s bound to be some that come in handy for us. The odds are with us. I mean... if I counted right there are 181 spells here. Some of them have to be helpful...”  
  
“And there’s also a chance it could blow up in our faces and kill us both,” she said as she watched Talen unwrapping the large sacks from around his waist.  
  
“Well, yes, I suppose so. But, this is an opportunity too. I could never afford this many spells, hell, Shalaree, I probably would never be able to buy the Master level ones for a long time. Just give this a chance.” He began to unload the sacks as he spoke to her and he heard her sigh. He picked up his pack from the floor and began to empty it of books and the scroll with the full listings and levels written on it. He heard the crunch of the apple as he unrolled the paper and used a book to hold it flat on her table.  
  
“Alright. Just... just watch what you’re doing. As far as jobs go. I was summoned to see the Jarl for a particular job from him, and the steward gave me another one that goes along with it. I also picked up a bounty, and the notice board seemed to be devoid of all requests. Except for Birna’s brother posting a help wanted with getting his sister to stop bitching at him for drinking.”  
  
“What are the jobs?” he asked as he began to separate the books into levels and placing the Master level ones into his clothing chest and loading the more advanced ones into the barrel. He’d leave the novice and apprentice level ones out to study.  
  
“Well, it concerns the Collapse and a crown that was lost in a shipwreck during it. The Jarl thinks that one of the wrecks around here still has that crown and he wants it back since it’s a symbol of rulership, or some shit like that here in Winterhold.”  
  
Talen turned back to her with a glowing purple book clutched in his hand. “What? That ship might be at the bottom of the sea. I mean we can search there since we won’t drown as long as you’ve got your ring on, but there are creatures in there that could eat us, and that damn boat might have drifted anywhere. Not to mention if we aren’t careful we could end up a block of ice ourselves.”  
  
She waved the hand that held the half-eaten apple in it at him, “I know. I told him that, but he’s hard-headed and insists that the boat is sticking to one of the icebergs. He thinks the mages caused the destruction and it did something to the ice to cause the wrecks not to sink.”  
  
Talen shook his head and began putting more books into the barrel, “What’s the other job?”  
  
“Well, since that disaster struck, their coastal and inland maps have become obsolete. They can’t find anyone that would go and make them an updated one with the new coastline, any new landmarks, or oddities. And they want us to explore from just North of Windhelm to past Dawnstar, ships, and shore. They want the entire area. Half of what they had marked is gone, and I can see why they’d want a new map. Anything could have been uncovered or lost.”  
  
“That’s months worth of wandering and mapping. What are we getting paid for all that?”  
  
Shalaree bit into her apple and waited until he turned away from her before her lips turned up in a smirk and said, “We get the opportunity to buy a building plot in town for 2,000 Septims.”

Talen dropped the book on the floor of the wagon and turned to her. “Please tell me that was a joke.”  
  
“Nope, that was the offer. We get to do all the work, buy a piece of land in this god-forsaken frozen land, and have to build a house on it. All for the price of 2,000 Septims, and the cost of materials. Oh, and time to build it, or pay for someone else to build it for us.”  
  
His feathers ruffled, and he stared at her as she finished her apple and tossed the core into a small pail. “You... you couldn’t have accepted... you’re fucking with me because of what I did in Windhelm. I already explained all that; I didn’t... it was a mistake. I got caught up in the whole clan thing.”  
  
“Nope, not fucking with you, that was the offer given to me by the Jarl of Winterhold.” She saw him swallow and slowly crouch down to pick up the dropped alterations book from the floor and just as slowly stand back up.  
  
“I-I don’t know what to say.”  
  
She wiped a hand across her lips trying to keep the laughter and smirk from showing. “Well, like I said that was the Jarl’s offer. The steward soon saw their error, and after the Jarl left us to our own negotiations things ended up being a bit different.”  
  
Talen thunked his head into one of the chests and sighed, “I knew you had to be messing with me. What are we really getting paid for the jobs?”  
  
She laughed and tugged the sealed scroll from her pouch. “I’ve got in writing for doing the jobs that not only can we, at any time now or in the future, purchase any size land lot in the Hold of Winterhold for 2,000 Septims, but we are exempt from taxes. No personal taxes, no business taxes, and we can open whatever type of shop we want; alchemy to a blacksmith to a strip club and bar if we want to. And not just us, it has a caveat for the direct lineage of any children, adopted or biological, that we may have in the future.

If you’re serious about adopting that girl in Whiterun, this will give her a chance for a future for herself and her children. Well, as long as Winterhold doesn’t completely fall into the sea. So at any time we can come here, build a home, and open a shop for ourselves or our children or their children, and know they will have a future. Especially if they end up having magical talent.

The stables will provide free care for the horses, and the Inn will provide food and room for us each time we come here to give updates. The guards will keep an eye on our wagon if we have to leave it unattended in town. Upon completion of the map, we’ll also get 5,000 Septims. Other than the crown, anything we find we keep.”  
  
She locked the scroll inside the hidden gem and jewelry compartment as he fiddled with books. “So, if I wanted to come back here and study at the school later?”  
  
“We can move here and build a home while you attend the school. Or we could buy an already built home to live in and build one for any kids, while you or they attend the school. Even if we never come back here, we have that scroll that is signed by the Jarl, the steward, two guards, and myself, and can give it to a legally adopted child of ours. Even if it’s one that we adopt just to give him or her the opportunity to go to school here. When they get old enough, they can build their own home here or pass it on to one of their kids.”  
  
Talen glanced over at her as he placed the last book in the barrel. “You’re talking about Renhaa-Jei aren’t you? About adopting him and letting him and that female come here to get them out of Windhelm.”  
  
She shrugged, “If he can do magic... or if she can, then why not. I wouldn’t be thrilled with living like an ice cube, but it’s better than what they have now.”  
  
“What about the house in town?”  
  
“Hmm, it’s 15,000 Septims, apparently fully furnished and even has a small business attached to it already. An alchemy shop. The lady said that the owner moved away because she wasn’t getting much business past potions to help with warding off colds and healing frostbite, but she was barely breaking even with buying the ingredients from the College.”  
  
Talen took a wooden mallet and started to bang the barrel lid into place before he shoved the container into a corner and wedged several crates on top of it. “Maybe before we leave to begin those jobs we can take a look at it. The books on the table are the novice ones that anyone with any magic can use. I’ll start going through them to see what I can start casting outside of combat that might help us. I’ll probably be up late so will just stay inside the wagon tonight, that way you won’t have to worry about me waking you up.”  
  
Shalaree glanced over and quickly counted 22 books of various colors glowing on the table. “Alright, it’s still early though. Maybe you can bring one of them to the Inn, and we can have dinner?”  
  
He ran a clawed hand over one of the books and shook his head, “I’ll just make one of those sandwiches of yours later. I’ll update the inventory and financial journals before I start.”  
  
“I’ll bring you some ale and a bowl of stew later, you’ll need something to keep you warm,” she said quietly before placing the inventory journal on top of one of the chests along with the receipt and slipped out the wagon door.  
  
He closed his eyes and wished he could stay with her in the inn, but after so many screw ups lately, he needed to make sure he got his head on straight, and himself under control before he did something that caused her to leave him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mod listing will be updated to include items from this chapter.


	39. Chapter 39

* * *

 

 

Shalaree carried the tankard of ale and bowl of steaming stew outside and hurried around the side of the stable to get the food to Talen while it was still warm. She didn’t see him outside so set the ale on the step of the wagon and knocked on the door.  
  
When it swung open, she hurried inside. “Here, better eat while it’s at least somewhat warm,” she said as she handed Talen the bowl. She took note of the bedroll and blankets spread out on the floor and several books stacked on each side of it.  
  
“Find anything that might be useful?”  
  
He lowered himself down to sit on the bedroll and nodded as he took a bite of stew.  
  
“If they actually work, yes, quite a few, and things I never thought a spell could do.” He pointed to one of the books, “If the spell works as it should, we might have a way to keep warm if we’re in a cave and need to rest. I haven’t tried it yet, though, been more concerned with learning this one here.” He pointed to the open purple cloth-covered book lying on the bedroll.  
  
“If this works then the novice mage who wrote it is a genius. How many times have we been in a dungeon or cave and had to leave stuff we wanted behind because we needed to make more room in our packs?”  
  
“Too many,” she said as she opened a chest and removed a paper sack from it. She handed Talen one of the sweets from inside before tucking it back into the chest and sitting down opposite him.  
  
“Yeah, well, if this spell works we won’t have to worry about running out of room ever again.”  
  
She slid one of the honey and nut balls off the thin stick and asked, “What do you mean?”  
  
Talen set the partially empty bowl of stew aside and picked up the book and turned it toward her. “This spell is a conjuration one. If this thing works, it will call an ethereal chest into existence. It has unlimited holding power, and we won’t need to leave anything behind. I cast it then we put all our stuff inside then I send it back into the etherium. When we need it again or we’re here in the wagon and ready to unload it or pack things we may need inside of it, I just cast it again, and it reappears. We do what we need to do, and I send it back. We can store whatever we can fit inside there and take it out when we need it; like blankets, weapons, potions, and food. Anything.”  
  
Shalaree shifted, so her back was against one of the chests, “What is the likelihood of that spell working?”  
  
His feathers lifted, and he scratched his jaw, “I don’t know, but we’ll test it with some junk before putting anything of value in it. There are a couple of others that should come in handy as well. If it’s alright, I’d like to stay in town for a day or so to practice a few of these before we leave.”  
  
She nodded then reached into her pouch and brought out the bounty notice. She held it out to Talen, “I think you should read this.”  
  
He put the book back down and opened the letter. His eyes moved quickly over the notice, and the lantern light caught the metal of his horn cuff as he slowly shook his head. “I- I don’t know about this, Shalaree.”  
  
She took the parchment back from him and put it in her pouch, “Three raids that left two families dead along with four guards, Talen. The Falmer are killing off what few travelers and families that are in the area and no one seems to be doing anything about it, or they’re not coming back from trying. The cave is the one to the south, the one we passed.”  
  
He rubbed the side of his face then the top of his head before he sighed, “Alright, but we’ll need potions. Lots of healing ones and cure poison. We don’t get anywhere near one of those caves without plenty of those potions, at least not until I can find or buy a cure spell for it.”  
  
“Agreed. I’ll start making the potions in the morning while you work on whatever spells you think we might need. Birna sells empty journals, or you can have the one with flowers and paste gems glued all over it that I've tucked in the alchemy compartment; it’s under the book of recipes.”  
  
Talen’s mouth thinned, and his nonexistent lips curled back, the gleam of his white teeth shown in the candlelight, and she laughed.

 

* * *

  
  
Talen yawned as he stumbled bleary-eyed into the Inn the next morning. He knocked on the room door and heard Shalaree groan out her usual “five more minutes” before he banged on the door again and told her to get her ass out of bed before her tea grew cold. He completely ignored her answer of “fuck you” as he headed to the closest table and sat down.  
  
Several minutes later Shalaree shuffled out the door and plopped onto the bench across from him. The innkeeper brought over two plates of food and Talen shoved her tankard of morning tea over to her while he removed the fitted lid off his own tea.  
  
“I thought this morning we could test that spell I stayed up most of the night learning and while you’re making those potions, I can start on another one.”  
  
Shalaree cut up the thin elk steak and shoved a piece in her mouth as she nodded. “That old burned out building should be a good spot. What's left of the walls can block some of the wind, and we can toss in debris to test it.”  
  
Thirty minutes later they stood inside what was left of someone’s home. He quickly scanned the spell again before tucking the book into his pack and holding out his right hand. He began to make the fluid gestures as he recited the spell and Shalaree held her breath as his hand glowed bright purple and a shimmering light appeared near the ground. A moment later she heard a snap and sizzle sound as a strange looking, almost transparent chest appeared.  
  
Talen looked at her then back down at the chest. “Well, at least that part of the spell worked.” He picked up a branch and Shalaree grabbed a rock off the ground. Talen hesitated then touched the top of the chest. The two sides of a circle split open, and a hole appeared.  
  
“Are you really going to put your hand in there?” Shalaree whispered as she held out the rock.  
  
He looked as nervous as she did and held the branch over the hole and let go of it. It disappeared into the hole without a sound of it hitting the bottom of the chest. Talen leaned over and tried to peer inside, but saw only blackness. He took the rock from her and dropped it down the hole too, before touching the top of the ethereal chest and watching the pieces slide back together. He stood up and recast the spell; the chest disappeared with a pop.  
  
“Okay, give me a second then we’ll see if the chest comes back with that stuff still there.”  
  
She nodded, and he rubbed his hands on the leather of his pants before he held the right one out and recast the spell. The chest appeared with the same sizzle and snap sound and Talen took a deep breath then released it before he touched the top of the chest. After the two sides slide open a scroll began to rise from the hole.  
  
“What the hell is that?” she whispered, pointing to the hovering parchment. Talen shrugged and reached for it.  
  
He unrolled it and read, “To retrieve items open this parchment and say very clearly and concisely: Ethereal chest, your summoner requests [name of item and amount]. Current contents are as follows: Rock 1, Branch 1.”  
  
Shalaree looked down into the hole. “Nothing is in there. Do what that paper said.”  
  
Talen said the words and requested the rock. Shalaree looked up at him, “Talen that fricken rock just appeared inside the chest. I can see it now.” She slowly reached inside, grabbed the stone, and yanked her hand out of the hole. “Make the chest disappear again and then call it back and see if the branch is there.”  
  
He did what she asked, and when he yanked out the branch, they looked at each other with silly grins. They dumped the rock, branch, and each one picked something from their pouch and dropped it in. After a minute he called the chest back, and everything was still there.  
  
“I better get to making those potions now,” she said as she shook her head and climbed into the wagon. Talen jogged the short way to Brina’s and purchased several dust-covered journals before heading back and joining her in the wagon.   
  
By lunch, she had several rows of differently sized health potions, and regeneration potions lined up on her table. Talen looked up when he heard her muttering something as she rapidly flipped through the inventory ledger.  
  
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he placed a green ribbon inside the tome before putting it aside and standing up.  
  
“I’m out of a few ingredients, and that stupid cure potion states it needs a particular type of bottle, which of course we don’t have. Since you’ve been there before can you run up to the College and grab these things for me. I’ll pack the potions into a small box lined with straw while you’re gone. You can stick them into that weird chest when you get back.”  
  
Talen picked up his cloak and settled the heavy, hooded, fur garment about his shoulders before tucking the list into his pouch and slipping on his fur-lined leather gloves. He grabbed the empty crate next to the door of the wagon and grunted as the cold from outside blew into the warm wagon when he opened the door. When he returned from the College with a crate full of potion bottles, paper packets, and sacks of ingredients he found her in the stables grabbing fistfuls of straw from a bundle in the hayloft and stuffing it in a crate. Several hours later she had one crate as full as she could get with healing, magicka, and cure poison potions.  
  
She shook her head as Talen carefully lowered the crate through the hole in the ethereal chest and added another crate he had packed with food. He placed several bedrolls, two square pillow forms, two fur blankets, several full waterskins, and pouches of soul gems, and ingredients inside. At her stare, he called the chest back and looked at the list before showing it to her.  
  
After dinner, they went to an open area so he could attempt the spell he had spent all day learning. Shalaree stood by with bandages, salves, and healing potions; just in case.  
  
“So, this is another conjuration one like the chest. This one though, according to the spell maker, is supposed to call forth a shelter to keep the occupant warm and dry. There were some notes on the margins, but they didn’t seem to be part of the actual spell, just remarks and they weren’t in the common tongue... so I’m not sure what they said.”  
  
Shalaree shifted her stance from one side to the other, “Are you sure about this?”  
  
He shrugged, “An agreement is an agreement. I’ve got to try it and see if it works. I already made an entry asking about those remarks and how they should be in the common language if they add them to the final tomes. Okay, here we go. Ready?”  
  
“No. But cast anyway.”  
  
He gave a short burst of laughter and held out both his hands. He began the incantation, and they glowed with a purple-black light. A blinding purple flash and a zapping sound filled the air. They both blinked, and Talen gasped as Shalaree looked around.  
  
“For the love of the gods, tell me we aren’t going to suffocate to death because we’ve been trapped inside a purple bubble.”  
  
Talen yanked the tome from his pouch and flipped through it again. He swore he did everything right.  
  
“Talen... say something. Are we gonna die? I’d just like to know so I can panic now instead of waiting and unable to do more than lay on the frozen ground later.”  
  
“Give me a second,” he yelled as he read over the spell again.  
  
“Talen? Talen!”  
  
“Hold on and quit yelling at me!”  
  
“Something just popped up in the middle of the bubble.”  
  
Talen glanced up and over to where she pointed and saw a black pedestal had appeared with a blood-red bowl sitting on it. He flipped through the tome faster and read over the spell wording and motions again.  
  
“Uh...”  
  
He looked up and saw the bowl now held purple and black flames.  
  
“Shit, shit, shit,” he muttered as he ran his finger along the lines of the incantation. He paused when he felt a slight shudder under his feet and heard a muffled crack. He looked up as Shalaree bumped into him. The four pillars now standing outside of the bubble drew his gaze. Each one topped with a statue of a hooded figure.  
  
“Talen? Get us the hell out of here. I can’t breathe,” Shalaree hissed as she watched several rugs with strange symbols appear on the now purple-bubble covered ground. A moment later a soft popping sound came from near one of the pillars and an alchemy lab came into existence. Several seconds later another pop near one of the other pillars and a table with a red glowing orb appeared.   
  
He frowned then held up a hand and looked around before he slipped off one of his gloves.   
  
“Talen! I can’t breathe. I’m suffocating again,” she screamed and started making gasping noises and reaching for something on her back.  
  
He grabbed her shoulders and shook her before he touched her face, and she looked up at him. “It’s alright, Shalaree. We can breathe in here. We won’t die of suffocation. Breathe with me.” He held her eyes as she slowed her panicking gasps until they matched his more deliberate breaths. “That’s it, my love. Nice and slow. I have you. We’re okay. It’s warm in here, can you feel it now? The air is fresh and clean. I don’t think we’re trapped, just out of the weather. I’ll test a theory once I know you’ve calmed and are with me.”  
  
She took several more deep breaths and nodded shakily. Talen dropped his hand from her face and picked up the tome from where it had fallen to the floor. “Okay, you know you can breathe all right, and you won’t freeze or anything. Your pack has food, water, and a bedroll. If my theory proves incorrect, you’ll be safe until I can fetch a conjuration mage from the College to dispel this bubble. But if I’m right then this shelter works as intended and we can freely come and go.”  
  
“Don’t leave me in here.”  
  
He gripped her shoulder. “I need to make sure that the bubble remains if one of us leaves. If it works then, we can test if you can also leave the bubble. We'll see if it collapses or if the bubble stays up until it’s banished. You can see outside the bubble, but we don’t know if anyone outside can see in, or even if the bubble is visible to anyone outside of it. We need to check everything before we decide to use it or not. I need the information.”  
  
He took her by the hand and led her to a spot between two pillars and a few steps away from the actual bubble. “I’ll try and get outside the bubble. You should be able to see me. You can do this.”  
  
“Of course I can, I’m Commander Shepard. I took down the Reapers... I can stay in this bubble and not make a bigger panicky baby of myself than what I already did.”  
  
Talen gently nuzzled her head, “You’re Shalaree, the one who Wandered-the-Stars. You’ve got this.”  
  
He let go of her hand and faced the bubble wall, took three steps and was through it to the other side. He shivered as a blast of cold air and snow hit him. He put his glove back on and turned around. From this side the bubble was opaque, but it was definitely there. The statues outlined the protected area, and a pile of snow had already accumulated on the very top of the bubble, and some of it slipped down once in awhile.   
  
“Shalaree? Can you hear me in there?”  
  
A muffled response came back, and he motioned for her to come out.  
  
Shalaree hastened through the wall of the bubble and shivered before tugging the fur cloak tighter around herself. The bubble remained.  
  
She looked up at him. “That thing is creepy as hell. What’s up with those statues, and how things just pop into it. It was warm in there, though.”  
  
He nodded and took her by the hand again, “Let’s see if we can get back inside. Together then separately. I want to make sure that it’s just not the caster that can enter the bubble, but you as well.”  
  
He held a hand out and touched the wall and watched as his hand passed through it. They entered together, then he walked out and back inside then had Shalaree do the same. When Talen was sure he had as much information as he could get, he cast the spell again, and they were left standing in the middle of a snow storm. They ran for the warmth of the wagon where he made his new entry and slid that tome into a sack before picking through the others and choosing one.  
  
“That one’s not a purple one,” Shalaree said as she put the bandages back into the basket and fastened the lid.  
  
“No, this one is an alteration spell, like the magelight and candlelight. Only this one supposedly will open locks without the need for lockpicks. Since I’m not quite a new caster when it comes to this school of magic, it should be much easier for me to learn. The destruction and the restoration ones should be a snap. It’s only the rest of the conjuration and those couple of illusion spells that will be difficult.”  
  
“Hmm, so we leave mid-morning tomorrow to do that bounty. You can study as we go. Once we clear the cave, and we will clear it, we’ll need to decide on where to go from there. The Jarl wants the coastline mapped out, and I’m not sure if the wagon is going to be able to handle being off-road. It’s built to go over small objects and not get stuck, and ford shallow rivers, but there wasn’t a way to test going through deep snow drifts.”  
  
“So we go by horseback. With the shelter spell and ethereal storage, we should be alright. It might be a bit cramped and smelly inside that shelter with the horses there if we run into a blizzard,” Talen said as he stacked the tomes and summoned the chest. He put the books inside and flipped open his clothing chest. Talen removed several sets of clothes, bathing supplies, a bucket, and a steel pan to hold wash water and jammed it all into the chest. Shalaree rubbed the back of her head then started to pack stuff down into the chest as well and hoped that nothing would disappear or get ruined.  
  
As he leaned back against one of the wooden chests and began to read the tome, she opened the baskets containing the packets of herbs and carefully measured portions into small paper sacks and pouches then stacking them neatly into a small basket before lowering it into the chest as well. She regularly checked the magical scroll to make sure everything registered correctly before handing the scroll back to Talen and telling him she had everything in there.  
  
He followed her into the Inn, and they took a seat at one of the corner tables. When Shalaree came back with their food, he had a magelight stuck to the wall beside him and was already nose deep in the tome.


	40. Chapter 40

* * *

 

 

The woman from the Skyrim Real Estate office hurried down the street and turned the corner, Shalaree and Talen followed behind her leading their horses. When she reached the end of the road, she heaved a sigh and lifted her heavy skirts several inches, and began to slog through the snow that had piled up overnight. After several minutes she turned and walked through a narrow gap between two large walls of rock and kept moving.  
  
Shalaree glanced back at Talen who followed her as closely as the narrow gap would allow. Once they were through, they paused next to the woman who was breathing heavily.   
  
“This is as far as I am going to go toward that mage house. You want to see it, here’s the key. Hurry up; it’s cold out here.”  
  
Talen spied a firepit with several stone benches surrounding it, and after dusting off the snow from the few pieces of chopped wood next to the block, he carried them over and started a fire for her. She harrumphed and thanked him... even if he did use magic to start it with.  
  
A small, empty shed sat next to the woodblock and Talen said it was probably to store firewood. Shalaree and Talen walked through the small area and saw a small stable under a rock overhang. It would barely be big enough for both horses so the wagon would be left to the elements.  
  
They began up the slippery stone steps and paused when they reached the top. A tree stood off to one side in a large planter, and it glowed blue with tiny sparkling white icicles hanging from it. A bench was on the porch, and two small braziers flanked it. They took several steps on the porch itself, and the braziers lit up with a bluish-white light.  
  
“This is definitely a mage’s home,” Talen said as they looked around. Several planters lined both sides of the door, and long, shimmering blue icicles hung from the edge of the roof. Shalaree inserted the glowing key into the lock and twisted it.  
  
When they swung the door open, several lights lining the walls lit up, and they walked in and closed the door behind them. The front area had paintings of various plants on the wall, a counter with a stool sitting behind it, and a small sign that read, “The Alchemist is Out” placed in the middle of the counter. Talen picked up the sign and turned it around; it now said “The Alchemist is In” he chuckled and put it back the way he found it.  
  
“I guess this is the store that they mentioned being attached to it,” he muttered and shook his head.  
  
They continued to look around at the small home. It was indeed furnished. They found a small table with two wooden chairs, a fireplace with a metal hook for holding cooking pots, and one cupboard in the kitchen. A small bed was tucked up under a set of stairs heading up into a loft area. At the top of the stairs, they found a small storage area with several empty barrels and crates, two mannequins propped up against the wall, and a wardrobe with five wooden hangers left in it.  
  
They walked back down, and Talen pointed out a trap door in the corner across from the bed. When they opened it up, he cast candlelight and started down the stairs into the dark space below.  
  
“Come on down; it’s the workspace.”  
  
Shalaree descended the shaky ladder and looked around. A dust-covered alchemy lab sat against one wall with several empty shelving areas above it. There were two open cupboards and a chest. Shalaree looked closer at one of the cupboards and noticed tiny brass plates nailed to the shelves. “Looks like the lady liked to keep things organized, these shelves are labeled for specific ingredients.”  
  
Talen looked around and moved back up the ladder, once he closed the trap door he turned to Shalaree.  
  
“It’s awfully small. A single bed, we’d have to buy a tub and drag it to the kitchen to take a bath or buy a washstand and cart water back and forth.”  
  
She chewed her bottom lip, “I know it’s small. But the roof doesn’t leak, and it’s furnished. We can advertise in town and make some cash when we aren’t on the road. And that tree... I like that tree.”  
  
Talen rubbed his head. “So you don’t mind the bed being only for one?”  
  
“Maybe... maybe we can rearrange some things and put a larger bed up in the attic? There’s more room up there. Move the storage to the basement or build a shed?”  
  
“Maybe, let’s tell her we’ll think about while doing the job for the Jarl and let her know when we get back. That way we should have close to the money she’s asking without selling those gems.”  


 

* * *

  
  
When they made it back to town, they discussed it with the woman, and Shalaree handed her a thick packet of sealed papers and several Septims.  
  
On the way out the door, Talen asked her what the papers were.  
  
“A reply to Do’Jahirr to let him know I got his letters, and I told him about our adventures so far, and where we are right now. He’s down in the Riften area from what his last letter said.”  
  
Talen gripped Thunder’s reins and mounted. “You’re sending letters to him? And he’s sending them back?”  
  
Shalaree mounted Vapor and turned the horse South. She nudged the horse into a walk and only said, “Yes,” as the horse moved past him.  
  
Without the wagon slowing down the horses they made better time to the Whistling Mine where they stopped to rest and check their map. Talen made a few notations on the new map concerning landmarks then quickly ate before mounting back up and riding toward the South again.  
  
A few hours before sunset they arrived outside the cave. Nothing had changed. The fence pieces were still there, and so was the head on a spike.  
  
They dismounted and searched for a close-by location to secure the horses. The entire area was devoid of trees, so they climbed up the hill above the cave and circled to the back. Talen wasn’t too happy with leaving them unprotected, but they secured the reins and covered them with their blankets. After summoning the chest, Talen withdrew one of the small bundles of hay he had made the night before and dropped it on the ground for them to eat.  
  
“Let’s do this as fast as possible. I don’t want to leave the horses alone for too long; between animals, bandits, and the weather we could lose them,” Talen said as they hurried back around to the front. They checked their supplies and readied their weapons before entering the darkness.  
  
Other than a few dry bones and a cluster of mushrooms that Talen stopped to harvest, the entrance was empty. The tunnel in front of them led downward, and they could feel a temperature drop. As they moved down further ice formed on the walls, ceiling, and floor making walking treacherous.   
  
Talen skidded to a halt and began casting firebolts further ahead, Shalaree raised her staff but didn’t see what Talen was using magic against until a thick stream of green goo came shooting out from a darkened area at the base of a pillar. It was then she saw the giant black bug lifting up to spit more goo and sent off several bolts toward it. Talen drank down a cure potion then ran toward the bug while drawing his sword and began to slash when he got within melee range.  
  
After the bug stopped moving Talen drank another cure poison potion then began to heal himself as Shalaree withdrew two cure potions from a belt pouch and handed them to him. “Are you alright?” she quietly asked when she saw the wild-eyed look he had. After a few calming breaths he nodded and crouched down to remove the large chitin covering from the creature. After he scraped it clean, he put it in his pack and told her he was ready to go.   
  
They kept going until the passageway opened up into a large iced over cavern with a fast flowing stream running through it. They saw another one of the chaurus bugs wandering around. Shalaree didn’t pause this time but sent flame bolts to keep the bug’s attention on her until Talen got close enough. She felt the poison burning her insides, and she hurriedly drank a potion and smeared a bit of salve on the acid burns that marred the open area between her neck and the collar of her armor and her helm.  
  
Shalaree handed another cure poison potion to Talen and had just restocked the three slots in her belt pouch when Talen let out a cry and started sending bolts toward a creature silently running toward them. She activated her staff then heard Talen yell at her to watch out. She barely got out of the way of the swing of an axe by another one of the creatures that had apparently jumped from an opening above them.  
  
She kicked out, and the creature stumbled back a step then came at her again. She was able to block another swing with her staff before a small sliver of magical ice speared it in one of its eyes. The creature didn’t scream in pain, but it did take a few steps back; just far enough for her to bring up her staff and send bolt after bolt into it before it collapsed with its body still on fire. She turned toward where the ice had shot from and saw Talen on the cave floor. A pool of blood began to form under him.  
  
She didn’t hesitate but ran to him and rolled him onto his back. He had several deep cuts on his face, one of his arms had been pierced by an arrow that had broken off when he had fallen, but the worse was the gash torn in the chain mail part of the glass armor he wore. The arrow had ripped through both the chain and his body, leaving a huge hole.

She grabbed the bandages from her survival pouch and packed them on both wounds in his side. She removed the broken arrow from his arm and applied some salve to it before she unstoppered the largest health potion she had with her and forced the contents into his mouth. She stroked his throat and let out a sigh when he swallowed convulsively and began to glow.  
  
Shalaree waited until the glowing stopped before she removed the blood-soaked bandages and smeared healing salve over the wounds and covered them with more bandages. Several minutes went by before he began to stir and she covered his mouth as he let out a groan. “Shh, I don’t know if there’s anything else nearby. You have to keep quiet.”  
  
He blinked then closed his eyes as she removed her hand. “I hate the fucking Falmer,” he hissed. He clenched his jaw together as she helped him stand. He removed the bandages and looked at the damaged armor and the scales under it. “Glass armor, better than anything that I’ve ever had before, and the Hist damned, blind Falmer had to find the only weak spot on the cuirass.”  
  
A quick check of the cavern showed there were three passages. The first one they tried led to an unlocked chest. They emptied everything from it and returned to the main room to check the next area. Talen almost swore aloud and stomped his foot when the next room had a large flying chaurus and a mostly naked Falmer. He pointed to her and the Falmer, shaking her staff repeatedly, then to himself and the chaurus. He wiggled his fingers and pointed to the potions in her belt pouch, and she removed them and handed them to him, he tucked them into the intricate belt he wore as part of his armor and rubbed his side before he slid the sword off his back.  
  
He nodded, and both of them sent magic toward their respective targets. Talen ran for the flying chaurus drawing it away from the Falmer.  
  
After the fight and subsequent search of the room, Talen called for the ethereal chest, and they restocked their potions and deposited the few large pieces of weaponry or armor they found into it.  
  
“I’m glad you had me make all those potions. We wouldn’t have done well without them.”  
  
Talen placed the chitin and chaurus eggs he found into the chest before nodding in agreement. “We just have to stay well stocked and make sure we keep that poison off of us. It would be nice if we found something with a cure or at least a resist poison enchantment on it. We’ll need to start checking the stores more carefully now that we’ve got a good supply of soul gems. We need to get you an enchanter’s table for inside the wagon, but with the one that pops up in that bubble, you can start breaking down and recording the enchantments. Just remember anything you break down for the enchantment is destroyed, so don’t go breaking everything down without making sure the enchantment is going to be worth it. Low-level ones are better from crappy equipment than the destruction of a piece of hard to find gear for the same enchant.”  
  
She nodded as she held out the staff that the Falmer had dropped. Talen looked at it, but the words of power were faded from the weapon. He shook his head before dropping it into the chest and closing it up. He banished it and waited until she recharged her staff and tucked the tiny pouch of recovered gem dust into her pack before they started back to the main room to check that last room and go deeper into the cave.  
  
Talen paused in the next room and crouched down. He studied the oddly shaped formations sticking out of the wall and noticed a peg wedged into a crack in the floor. He stood and backed them up a short distance before holding out a softly glowing hand. A sliver of ice hit the peg and set off the trap; a large claw-like device swung forward and hit the pillar before retracting back into its original position.  
  
“I meant to ask about that spell. Unlike the flame or your other ice spell, that one doesn’t make any noise when you cast it. Why?”  
  
“It’s one of those new destruction spells. There were three almost identical versions of it, just different elements. They were meant to be silent to cast, but all of them are very weak. Not much use against an opponent as you saw with that Falmer, but good for setting off traps, so we don’t waste an arrow. It’s almost as if those three students worked together to create the spell then tweaked it for their favored element. I learned them all last night when the wind woke me up and shook the wagon hard enough to make it creak.”  
  
Shalaree bent down to pick up the book and satchel that were lying on the other side of the pillar and tucked them into her pack as Talen slid past the claw trap.  
  
The short passageway opened up into another small cave, and Talen sent out several bolts into the back of the Falmer just as it was beginning to turn at hearing whatever noise they had made. After a few bolts from Talen and Shalaree’s staff, the Falmer went down. Talen called for the chest and shoved the shield and axe the creature had been carrying into it. Shalaree held up a coin purse and rattled it as he banished the chest.  
  
“Found this in front of that cave-in while you were yanking that shield off the Falmer. It’s pretty heavy.” She tucked it into her hip pouch, and they moved down a different path and straight into another Falmer who had been ready for them.  
  
Shalaree stuffed a roll of bandages into her mouth as Talen cut the end off the arrow and slit the hole it had made in her thigh a bit wider so he could dig the arrowhead out.  
  
“Now not only am I going to have to repair the holes in my own armor but in your thin elven chain leggings. Why aren’t you wearing the heavy leathers under here?”  
  
She glared at him as the bandages muffled the scream she gave when the knife he used to dig out the bit of metal scraped against the arrowhead. “Hold on, just another minute; I’ve almost got it, Shalaree.”  
  
He opened the jar of salve she handed to him, and he applied it to her thigh. She slumped a little further on the boulder, and he cast a light healing on her before drinking one of the last blue magicka potions they had.  
  
When she could stand on her feet and move without too much pain, they started down the tunnel again. When it opened up into a small room with a chest in plain sight, they both paused sensing it was another trap. Talen edged his way into the room further, and from above them a Falmer carrying a sword and shield dropped from a strange looking formation in the wall.  
  
As Shalaree removed the weapons from the Falmer, Talen approached the chest and looked for traps. “This one is locked, I’ll try that new spell to see if it works. Stand back a bit.”  
  
Talen’s hand glowed with a yellowish-orange light that pulsated as he tapped on the chest’s lock. They both heard the soft click, and the glow faded from his hand as he opened the chest. “That’s going to come in handy,” he said as he emptied the contents and stuffed them in his pack or pouch.  
  
They began to move down a different passage to the North, and Shalaree started to walk into the cavern that opened up when Talen grabbed her and pulled her to a stop. He clapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything then pointed further into the cave where a strange looking Falmer seemed to be listening for something, and two large chaurus moved between several blue glowing mounds.  
  
Talen readied an elemental bolt in each hand and began to move them in sync. When he nodded, Shalaree sent out a flame bolt at the same time Talen threw his hands forward in one motion sending out a huge bolt. The red core of the magical bolt seemed to be brighter than before, and the purple and blue of the other magic that surrounded it flared out as it connected with the Falmer. The magic hit the creature with such force it was picked up and thrown against the far wall. The chaurus immediately turned toward them and spat out their acidic goo.  
  
Shalaree drank the last of the cure potions from her pouch as Talen healed them both. His own bag was now empty of potions, and he sighed at the cost of ingredients that this one cave used up.  
  
Shalaree watched as Talen slit the glowing mounds open and began to remove the eggs from inside before moving to the chaurus and gathering the chitin shells. Shalaree used her staff to roll the strange Falmer over from where it still lay crumpled against the wall and shuddered when she realized it was a female. She removed the pouch that hung on a leather strip tied around its waist and opened it up. Several potion ingredients were inside along with two potions in dark colored bottles.  
  
They searched the area and found an unlocked chest and removed the coin pouch, loose gems, a small jewelry chest that contained a gold and diamond necklace with matching ring, a large soul gem, and three slightly smaller ones; one of which glowed. They split it up and put it in their pouches before following a fast-moving stream to the south. They had to backtrack when they found the passage they had turned into at an intersection proved to be a dead end. Finally, they found the exit. They both stepped out into the Skyrim night and saw they were South of where they went into the cave. They hurried up the hill to find the horses where they left them.   
  
The horses were safe, but shivering with cold and out of hay. Talen summoned the purple shelter, and they led the horses inside where it began to warm up. He provided them feed, water, and dry blankets. Shalaree mixed a small health potion into handfuls of sweetened oats and fed it to the horses to make sure they didn’t suffer from the cold.  
  
A few hours later they had all the loot sorted, the horses were quietly dozing near the flaming brazier, and Shalaree put the cork in the last of the replacement potions before slipping off her shoes and crawling into one of the bedrolls. Talen placed a blue bookmark in the new tome he was reading and blew out the lantern after he crawled into his own bedroll.


	41. Chapter 41

* * *

 

 

Over a cold breakfast consisting of an apple dumpling, a handful of fresh snowberries, and tea that Talen heated with short bursts of his flame spell the two of them decided they needed to head back to Winterhold. They hadn’t counted on using so many potion ingredients and desperately needed to restock and turn in that bounty. They also needed some way to make hot, nourishing food since neither one thought about packing campfire or cooking equipment.  
  
They would map the coast from Winterhold south as they headed to the section just to the East of Windhelm’s coast since the steward told them a rumor of a possible shipwreck there.  
  
“We’ll stop at Windhelm so you can check on your friends and we’ll get as much information as we can about where to start looking for that shipwreck,” Shalaree said as she began to put on her armor. She checked the leggings and frowned when she looked at where the damaged links had been removed, but the hole in the armor remained.  
  
“Why is there a hole?”  
  
“The hole is still there because I don’t have the proper tools and a workbench to mend either set of armor, and we don’t have the ingots with us any way to make the patches.”  
  
Talen banished the shelter and began to follow Shalaree down the slope to the road back to Winterhold.

 

* * *

  
  
“Oh, hello there. You’re back. What can I help you with today?” Birna asked as Shalaree walked through the door after stomping off the snow.  
  
“I’m here to sell and see what you might have to buy,” she said as she piled the Falmer goods onto the counter. She paused when Birna sighed. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“I’m not going to be able to buy most of this stuff,” Birna said quietly, a pink suffused her cheeks when she said it.  
  
“What happened?” Shalaree asked just as quietly.  
  
“It’s my brother... again. He ran up a large bill at the inn, and most of my gold went to pay it off,” she paused a second before making sure the other woman was far enough away that she couldn’t hear the rest. “Then a stranger came into town while you were away helping the Jarl. He had this strange looking ornament that he swore up and down was the only one of its kind. He said that if I bought it and took it to Yngol’s Barrow that I’d make more than its weight in Septims. I don’t know why I did it; I felt like I just had to buy that thing. I’m no adventurer. All it is to me is a useless piece of junk.” She sighed deeply and made a few notes on a slip of paper and slid it across to Shalaree.  
  
As Shalaree packed the items that Birna couldn’t buy back into a sack Shalaree thought about what the woman had said to her. “Let me see what he talked you into buying,” Shalaree said with a frown on her face. She knew con-men could be persuasive, but every time she had spoken to Birna before the woman had always been level headed about her coins.  
  
Birna nodded and went into the storeroom. After a few bangs and scraping of crates across a floor she came back out carrying a flour sack. Birna dumped it on the counter, and Shalaree slid it around until the opening was toward her before she opened the bag and looked inside. And she saw a coral colored dragon claw similar to the gold one from Riverwood. She reached into the sack and drew it out. The claw was as heavy as the other one and shaped the same way. But this one didn’t just look like coral; it was made from it. Shalaree turned it over, so the palm faced her and saw three circles with images inside of it. She held it to the light and just like the other one the images were of animals or insects. She put it back in the bag.  
  
“Just like I said, junk,” Birna said and reached for the bag.  
  
“How much do you want for it?”  
  
Birna hesitated, “I-it’s just... I paid 50 Septims for it. If you want to buy it, I’ll let it go for...”  
  
“Sold, 50 Septims,” Shalaree said and dug the sum from her small hip pouch. “You said the man told you to take it Yngol’s Barrow? Where is that? Do you know?”  
  
Birna pulled the stacks of Septims toward her and put them in a money pouch before answering. “I don’t know where it is exactly, but the man said it was East of Windhelm. Are you sure you want to buy that?”  
  
“Yup, I’m sure,” Shalaree said and smiled at the woman.  
  
“Well, alright then,” she hesitated a minute then said, “Do you think you could come back and tell me if you found anything in there? I’m curious, but I’m not so stupid to want to go in there with only my eating knife.”  
  
Shalaree grinned and agreed, “When I come back we can have a cup of tea at the inn, and I’ll tell you everything.”

 

* * *

  
  
Talen found Shalaree in the Jarl’s longhouse talking to a man he supposed was the steward, since the one wearing a crown currently slumped in a chair in the middle of the room. He waited and watched as the steward handed her a small coin pouch along with another folded note.  
  
Back in their wagon Shalaree opened the note and read the new bounty notice before handing it to Talen.  
  
“There’s something I want to show you,” she said and handed him the sack with the claw in it.  
  
Talen finished reading the bounty to clear out a nearby cave and handed the note back before opening the sack. “Is that one of those dragon claws?”  
  
“Yeah, I bought it from Birna earlier. Someone came to town and sold it to her. They said to take it somewhere East of Windhelm, a place called Yngol’s Barrow. Since we’re going that way anyway --”  
  
“We should check it out, the one in Riverwood netted us quite a bit of coin.”  
  
“Exactly,” she said. “Plus if it’s like the other one, that claw will open a special door to a good treasure; then we can send it to Do’Jahirr so he can get the word from the wall in there.”  
  
Talen grunted and placed the claw inside the flour sack. “I got everything you asked for from the Lustratorium. She also had a recipe I thought you might like; it’s tucked in the crate. How much did we make from the goods?”  
  
Shalaree crossed her arms and shook her head. “Hardly anything. Ranmir hasn’t helped her at all, and cost her Septims at the bar with running up a big tab. Then the stranger with that claw came by. I gave her the same amount she originally paid for it, but she couldn’t afford to buy even half the stuff. It’s inside one of the sell chests.”  
  
Talen clicked his tongue and shook his head, “I took those dark potions and staff to have them identified. The bottles contained poison, and I sold them for a handful of Septims. The staff I kept for you. It’s been recharged and will let you cast ice spikes.” He nodded toward the barrel where he stored the staff. “I suppose the first stop is going to be to the market districts to sell when we get to Windhelm.”  
  
She nodded and shifted as he pushed away from the barrel he leaned against. “I want to show you something, Shalaree. I finished that tome from last night. I think it’s going to be of use to us, but would like your opinion on it.”  
  
Shalaree pulled the fur cloak closer to her body as Talen led them to the stone quarry in back of Birna’s Oddments. They stood near the mining area, and Talen turned toward her, “You know how we need certain tools to cut wood or mine ores and things?”  
  
She shivered and nodded.  
  
“Well, if this one works then I won’t have to carry those tools with me. That means less weight and more space in my pack. It also means that wherever we are if there is wood that I can chop, we can have a fire.” He turned toward the stone quarry and held out his left hand and began a quick chant. A glowing mining pick appeared in his hand, and after he adjusted his grip on it, he swung it toward the stones. Purple sparks flew up from where the pick connected to the large stone deposit and a chunk of rock flew off. “It works just like a regular pick. If the axe does the same thing then what do you think about keeping the spell and leaving the actual tools behind?”  
  
“If it works keep using it. From my limited understanding of how your magic works, the more you cast something, the easier it gets, right?”  
  
He banished the tool and nodded. They started walking back toward the Jarls longhouse, where the only wood chopping block in town sat and explained in greater detail about his magic.  
  
“Yes, that’s mostly right. The ones that use magic has a mana pool inside them, or at least that’s what we call it. What it is I don’t know. This mana pool determines what spells we can use. Some spells are harder to cast and need more base mana to use while simpler spells need less mana to cast. But even those simple spells can drain a new caster or one that isn't used to that school of magic’s spells. The purple conjuration ones, for example, these are the most basic ones from that school, but they are draining for me to cast because I’m just learning about that school. But the more I use these spells, the easier it’s getting, and the more often I can use them.”  
  
“That’s why you can use your flames, and those bolt spells a lot more than when we first met?”  
  
He nodded. “Before I would use the spells to heat drinks, light fires, and sometimes fight off things. I mainly used my bow and tried to stay the hell away from most things and kill them at a distance. What my bow wouldn’t take down, my sword would. The magic I would keep in reserve to heal, and that’s why my heals are so much better than my flames.”  
  
“But with those books now you’re learning about the other spells. How will that affect your flames and stuff?”  
  
He raised his left hand and summoned a woodcutter’s axe. He hefted it over his head and brought it down on a hunk of wood Shalaree had placed on the block. Purple wood chips rained down on the ground and disappeared. Talen picked up the two pieces of wood after he banished the axe and they started for the wagon.  
  
“If I’m careful when and how I cast them, then it won’t affect it too much. If I cast something from an odd school then we get attacked before my mana pool can refill, we can be in trouble; unless I use one of your blue magicka potions to refill it immediately. The potion recipe I bought is one for a regeneration boost for my mana, like the health one where our bodies heal a bit faster for a minute or two, this one does the same for my magic.”  
  
He summoned the ethereal chest, and they stocked it with whatever they thought they would need in the coming days. After he dug the next level’s books out of the barrel and stuck those in the chest as well, he banished it. “That spell is getting much easier and much less draining. The more I cast that one, the shelter, and the tools, the easier it will be for me to cast any that are for attacking. I can cast, rest, cast, rest, and keep doing that and it will continue to get easier.” He smiled at her, and she scratched her cheek before smiling back, finally understanding why she had spied him standing outside the wagon earlier summoning that chest and putting in a book then banishing it, only to cast it again a minute later and take out the same book. He did it over and over again before he sat on the wagon’s stairs for several minutes.  
  
“How many of those base spells do you have left to learn?” she asked as she pulled several food items out of baskets and barrels before opening the wagon door.  
  
He piled several logs in a small pit and lit them while she made their stew and set it on a large rock placed in the fire to heat.  
  
“I still have 17 more books. I’m trying to learn the rest of the ones from the schools I hadn’t paid much attention to before since they’ll take a long time. Once I’ve learned those the restoration, and the last destruction spell will only take a bit of time and I can read those as we travel.”  
  
After they ate they sat in the warmth of the wagon and Talen began reading another tome as Shalaree studied the new potion recipe before she wrote it in her journal and tucked the book into her pack.  
  
“What’s that one about?”  
  
Talen hummed before he said, “It’s called Alarm, and if it works the way it says it does, then if I cast the spell when we enter a dungeon it will alert me if an enemy is close. We shouldn’t be surprised like we were by the Falmer jumping down from above.”  
  
She finished what she was doing, told him goodnight, and headed for the inn. He had told her that he should have the spell memorized by the time they left at daybreak, but wouldn’t know if it worked until they used it somewhere they would get in a fight. She hoped the spell worked; she hated it when one of those freaky things jumped out of nowhere.

 

* * *

  
  
They were halfway between Winterhold and the Whistling Mine when Talen pointed to an opening leading off to the East and toward the coast. Shalaree carefully maneuvered the wagon off the road, and they slowly made their way to the opening. Talen jumped down, and she pulled to a stop. She watched as he summoned the pickaxe and collected several different types of ore before banishing it and checking the stability of the snow in the pass.  
  
Talen climbed back on the wagon and took the reins from her. “We should be okay. We just have to try and keep the wagon moving and not stop until we get to the shore.” He clicked his tongue, and the horses gave a tug. Thunder stomped a front foot before the wagon began to inch its way through the gap and down toward the sea.  
  
They reached the shore two hours later and pulled to a halt. Shalaree pointed to a wrecked ship in the distance and Talen plucked the replacement map from the pack and began to make the changes to the shoreline; adding in the small islands that he could make out. An hour later they turned the wagon to the South and began moving again, stopping for him to make the changes every so often.  
  
Talen called a halt when they came to a large land area leading out into the ocean and pointed out that the cave they needed to clear supposedly was around here if the guard’s rumormongering held true. After clearing out the horkers that were blocking their way and rendering them down to cure the meat later, they moved the wagon onto the land mass, and Talen stopped it again. They saw the cave and what looked like a camp a little ways further to the North-West, but the only way over there was across an ice floe, and he didn’t want to chance the horses and wagon moving on it.  
  
Talen summoned the strange bubble shelter as Shalaree unhitched the horses and locked down the wagon. Talen made sure the horses were safely inside the warm structure and had plenty of hay and clean water before he led the way across the slippery, tilting piece of ice to the next section of land. Several more adjustments to his map and then they moved to the camp.  
  
The camp was empty except for a half frozen horse that didn’t complain when Shalaree checked it over, and a dead horker near a firepit.  
  
“It looks like no one’s been here for at least two days. The fire is out, but it looks like it’s been out for less than twelve hours, they must have had it roaring like a giant’s bonfire. Help me tend the horse; I’ll make sure to let the bastards know it wasn’t only stupid to bring it here but to leave it like this. From the look of it, they were after horker tusks. I wonder what happened?” Talen said as they dragged the rotting horker away from the horse and stashed it behind a fallen tree.  
  
Shalaree covered the horse with one of the bedrolls from a tent while Talen chopped wood from several fallen trees and put them in the pit then dumped one of the small hay bundles from his chest on the ground. The horse nickered softly and began to eat almost immediately. Talen lit the fire as Shalaree set the cleanest bucket she could find a short distance from the fire and filled it with snow to melt for water.  
  
When they did the best they could for the horse, they headed North where the sizeable dark splotch on the tall rocks indicated the cave’s opening.  
  
Shalaree looked around the bleak area while Talen bent down to collect a plant that gave off a slightly annoying chiming sound. Talen quickly stuffed it in his apothecary satchel.  
  
They slowed down their walking and drew their weapons when they approached the entry. Scattered all around the outside were bones; animal, human, and beastfolk bones. “This isn’t good,” Talen said and cast the new spell, Alarm, that he had learned before they entered the cave.  
  
The entrance held only several old, yellowing bones piled against the walls. Ice and snow covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. Shalaree looked at Talen as he hooked a lantern onto the back of her belt to give them some light before they entered the passageway in front of them.  
  
They came to an opening on the left and hesitated. The passageway continued in front of them as well, and Talen gripped his bow tighter and waited a second. He didn’t hear anything that could be the spell indicating enemies so he gestured to keep moving down the passage. They eased past the opening and kept going. The tunnel turned a tight corner and opened out into a snow and ice-filled room. They no sooner stepped into the room than a loud claxon sounded, and the roar of a frost troll came from a small alcove as it charged straight for them.  
  
The frost troll lay dead in the middle of the room, and Shalaree stood staring at Talen as they heard several faint roars still coming from somewhere inside the cave.  
  
“What the fuck was that?”  
  
Talen removed his helm and scratched his feathered head before putting the covering back on and crouching to remove the alchemy ingredients from the white troll. He cleared his throat before answering, “I think that was the Alarm spell.”  
  
“You think? It was supposed to alert us that an enemy was nearby, not alert the whole damn cave that we were here.” Shalaree kicked an arm bone and began to look around the room. She stared at the human or elven skeleton that hung upside-down from the ceiling for a moment thinking there was something familiar about it before she yanked the glowing two-handed sword from the pile of snow where it must have fallen from the victim’s grip. She dragged it back toward Talen leaving a clear path in the snow. He finished taking whatever he wanted from the troll and summoned the chest. She heaved the sword inside and gave him another glare before starting back toward the passageway.  
  
They followed a small tunnel into another room where they ran into another one of the white frost trolls. As Talen harvested from it, Shalaree crouched next to a dead khajiit. “Talen, I wonder if this is the one from the camp out there. It’s a pretty fresh kill,” she said as she picked up a coin purse that laid next to the body.  
  
Talen shrugged and said it was possible, but the khajiit wasn’t all that heavily armored or armed and the horkers would have been difficult. Shalaree hummed and rolled the body over. The leather armor was so badly damaged that it would be of no use, so she left it and the iron dagger that the khajiit clutched in his hand alone.  
  
Since there wasn’t a reason to try and sneak any longer they charged into the large room, they had bypassed earlier and took on two trolls that were now inside the room. Talen cast a quick healing on each of them as Shalaree smeared some extra salve on a few of the deeper cuts then they split up to search the room. Talen concentrated on harvesting while Shalaree looked in all the nooks and crannies.  
  
“There’s nothing here, but I found another passageway.”  
  
Talen nodded as he stood and put the greasy looking pouches into a small sack and slipped it into this apothecary satchel. They followed the passage around, and it led to a small room where two more bodies lay. “This is probably the last of that group of horker poachers. The bandit is more heavily armored and carried a decent sword. That other one is in robes so was probably a mage after the tusks and ingredients.”  
  
They searched the room and added a book, a heavy coin purse, a dull golden colored sword, and several ingredients from the mage’s satchel to their packs. Talen summoned the chest, and they removed the mixture of leather, scale, and chain pieces of armor from the bandit and stripped the blue robe from the mage.  
  
On the way back to where they left their wagon they searched the camp and added several items to their packs before removing the saddle from the horse. “Are we keeping it?” Shalaree asked, and Talen shook his head.  
  
“It would only run and return to this spot to wait for his owner. Hopefully, in another day it will become hungry again, and this time try to make its way to shore. Without the saddle weighing it down, he’s got a better chance at survival.”

 

* * *

  
  
Shalaree and Talen hitched up their horses to the wagon after they made it back across the ice floe and he banished the shelter. “That bubble shelter does come in handy for the horses at least, if it was just a bit bigger we could put the shelter over the wagon too,” Shalaree said as Talen checked the traces before climbing up on the bench seat.  
  
He snorted. “Yeah, it would be. Maybe I’ll add that suggestion to the notes tonight. I’ll be making sure to tell them they need to reword the Alarm spell’s description to read that it’s a loud alert to warn of intruders.”  
  
“Did you see a way to get to that shipwreck?” Shalaree asked as Talen started the horses moving to circle and get back to the mainland.  
  
He frowned and shook his head. “No, we’re going to need to get wet for that one. I did spot an area that we can set up camp at though. A large gap between the mountains that should act as a good windbreak, and if we place the bubble right, it will keep anything from getting to the horses and wagon by blocking the entrance to the area.”  
  
They headed back toward the campsite, and as Shalaree gazed out over the sea and drift ice at the broken ship, Talen set up camp.  
  
Shalaree stretched as she stood up from her bent-over position where she had been stirring their dinner, she looked over at Talen and saw him reading another one of the spell tomes and absentmindedly twisting one of his hands in a casting gesture. She shook her head and looked past the bubble to see the horses nibbling on the hay bundles they had placed inside the sailcloth tent. The outside fire burned well and would keep the horses warm through the night.  
  
She softly padded over the rugs in her green silk slippers and opened the ethereal chest to remove her armor care kit and a thin leather apron that she put on over her green silk robe. She did enjoy being able to wear these clothes outside of a smoke-filled inn. She sat cross-legged on a giant purple pillow and began to run a soft cloth over the glittering gold colored armor looking up once in a while to see Talen scratching his head or shifting on his red pillow.  
  
Talen paced the floor of the shelter for several minutes after dinner and Shalaree wondered what he was having problems with. She didn’t have long to wait.  
  
“Shalaree, I need your help with this one. Can you stand in this spot?” he said, and she stood and moved to where he indicated.  
  
“Alright, this spell is supposed to provide a new adventurer with basic gear; I need to cast this spell on you.”  
  
Shalaree’s eyebrow rose, “Say what? After that alarm fiasco, you want to cast another strange, unknown spell, and you want me to be the target of it?”  
  
He shrugged and the light from several lanterns reflected off the green scales of his chest. “Yes?”  
  
She made a tch sound, “If this does something strange I’m going to strangle you.”  
  
His feathers ruffled, and he wiped his hands on the hide pants he wore before he took several steps back and held out his hand toward her. She braced herself as that hand began to glow orange. She closed her eyes when a burst of light happened. When she didn’t feel strange, or in pain, she cracked open one eye and looked down at herself. She still wore her green silk robe.  
  
“I don’t think it worked,” she said then blinked when she saw Talen wearing a circlet with a gaudy looking red jewel in the center, green gloves, a bright orange robe, and purple boots. She snorted then started to laugh.  
  
He looked down at himself and made a disgusted sound as he saw the gaudy mismatched outfit. “Damn it. When the spell said a random set of robes, I thought it meant random enchantment, not random colored pieces that would make someone stick out and look like a court jester.”  
  
Shalaree was still laughing several minutes later when a puff of smoke came from Talen, and he was left standing in the middle of the shelter bare-ass naked.  
  
“What in Oblivion happened to my pants?” he muttered as he looked around. He finally found them in his pack after emptying everything else but the ethereal chest out. He could still hear her snorts and muffled laughter as he hastily scribbled in his journal complaining about the spell and what it did instead of what it was supposed to do.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for continuing to read.
> 
> I want to apologize for the strange formatting. I'm using a different writing and grammar aid and it keeps messing with my original formatting. I spend more time correcting it than I do correcting my grammar and writing.

* * *

 

In the morning they made certain the horses were tended to before they stood peering out at a substantial chunk of territory. “We’ll cross here and make our way out to the wreckage. You still have your ring on?” Talen said and Shalaree slipped off the elven gauntlet to make sure.

He nodded and drew a deep breath of the frosty air, “It will be biting cold so we should keep going, look at everything, and get back here to the shelter. We’ll spend the day here making sure neither one of us is suffering from frostbite or sickness. Then we’ll go back to mapping the area.”

Shalaree put her gauntlet back on and acknowledged her agreement, she wasn’t looking forward to swimming in the chilly water with the weight of her armor dragging on her.

When they arrived at the island where the shipwreck lay they came upon several bandits that had set up a makeshift encampment. Two bandits patrolled the area and defended the ship or something on it.

Talen stripped the carcasses while Shalaree gathered everything from the encampment. Within several minutes they had everything loaded into the ethereal chest, and Talen used the open lock spell to pop the lock on a wooden chest they found beside several crates. Shalaree shivered, and they rushed inside the wreckage. They discovered another bandit in the driest part of the ship. Talen barely wasted any time; he killed the bandit with several lightning bolts and Shalaree used her telekinesis staff to throw the bear trap she spotted at the bandit hitting him in the leg with it. A shriek of agony as it clamped closed around his thigh was cut off with a final burst of a bolt from Talen. They collected everything up and Talen shook his head when Shalaree asked if the crown had been there.

They found a waterlogged chest and dragged it out and toward the fire blazing cheerfully in a pit. He unlocked it and opened it to find the contents still dry. A bundle of furs, a purse with several jewels and handfuls of coins, and a book that Shalaree told him was a personal journal after she read the initial entry was all tucked into their packs. Talen pointed across a tiny expanse of water to another fire and several crates stacked up along another tent. They hurried across the water and searched the camp. Talen went to mine the ore veins he saw sparkling in the morning light as Shalaree finished clearing the area of useful or sellable items.

When they made it back to the shelter they quickly stripped out of their wet armor and underclothes and dried off with the pieces of toweling they had left to warm by the brazier and dressed. Talen made them hot tea and soup and they spent the rest of the day inside, only going out to take care of personal business or check on the horses.

That night Talen surprised her with another spell. This one made her clap and hug him. He had conjured a bed. It was on the small side, but comfortable and they wouldn’t have to set up their cots.

 

* * *

 

They woke to a heavy snowfall that was quickly turning into a blizzard. Talen built up the fire for the horses and tossed another bundle of hay inside their tent before recasting the shelter spell and hurrying back inside. Shalaree stripped off the heavy cloak she wore while waiting for the new shelter to be built and sighed. They were supposed to be traveling today and instead they were stuck waiting until the snow stopped.

Shalaree read the personal journal they had found while Talen read another spell tome, by mid-afternoon the snow had stopped falling and they hurried to put their armor on and break down the sailcloth tent. They had several hours before it grew too dark to see and map out the coastline. They didn’t want to squander it.

 

* * *

 

They continued to map the coastline over the next two days and Talen found several ore deposits he put on their own map and noted in the mining journal. They had just set up camp for the night when Talen joined her near the water’s edge as she looked toward the shipwreck. “Someone’s over there,” he said as he pointed out the glow of lanterns along with the flickering of a campfire.

“Yeah, I’ve been watching it in case it’s someone moving through. But that fire had been going pretty brightly even before we set up our own camp.”

Talen nodded and gestured behind him, when she glanced back she didn’t see any flames, but she heard them crackling and saw wood piled up in the pit.

“I used the darkfire powder. No sense in alerting any guards that there are others close by. Did you see a way across to it?”

Shalaree shook her head no. “Nothing but water on this side. The ship is stuck on some ice and rocks. I could just make out the end of a large ice floe on the other side. It looks like we must stick to our original plan of going in from the Windhelm side.”

 

* * *

 

When they reached Windhelm Talen removed the items from the ethereal chest they wanted to sell and packed them in their bags while Shalaree made their shopping lists.

Their first stop was to the Stone Quarter. Talen went to the stalls that weren’t owned by a nord and began their shopping as Shalaree sold their unneeded gear and tried to find any information on where Yngol’s Barrow was, or more about the shipwreck. Then they went to the Gray Quarter, and they sold the rest of their items and purchased a few cheap items that had enchantments on them. Sadri told them about the new neighbor that had moved in next to the New Gnisis Cornerclub and had purchased several items from them already. After they left the general goods store they went into the Cornerclub to have lunch. Shalaree sat at the bar and Talen listened as she and the bartender caught up on news and gossip. He noticed that Shalaree hadn’t needed to ask for anything. The bartender poured her a drink and went to get her the daily special almost as soon as she sat down.

“There was another murder after you left, Stars. One of the high elves this time.”

“The Jarl isn’t doing anything about it, Ambarys?” Shalaree asked after she put the mug of Sujamma down.

The dark elf snorted then grabbed a rag and wiped down a tankard before he shook his head. “He’s too busy up there in his castle trying to figure out how to get more power than to come down and see what’s going on in his town. Murders, people going missing, the squalor that my people have to live in. Not to mention the problems the argonians have.”

Shalaree sighed and picked up the huge leg off her plate and bit into it with a crunch. Talen stared at his and wondered what animal it came from because it wasn’t anything he’d ever seen before. He picked it up and tried to be inconspicuous as he sniffed at it before taking a small bite.

“Do you know anything about the ship that’s wrecked off the coast to the east of here? And a place called Yngol’s Barrow? All I’ve gotten so far was a guard telling me to stay away from that accursed place, but he wouldn’t tell me where the hell it was.”

Ambarys mumbled something about the guards being useless anyway then told her, “The barrow is near that wreck, you’ll see it before you get to the ship. I’ve heard about a bandit lair, but not sure if it has anything to do with the ship or not.” He reached under the counter and handed her a small sheet of folded paper. “Go to the dock and talk with the captain of the Northern Maiden, he makes weekly runs to Raven Rock to trade for supplies, he should still be here since we got our shipment of meat this morning. His ship has to pass that wreck each time so he might have something to tell you about it.”

Ambarys went to help another customer then to harass one of the dark elf women for working for the Shatter-Shields as Shalaree finished eating. She glanced over at Talen who had barely touched his crunchy baked ash hopper leg and lifted a brow at him. “You gonna eat that?” she asked as she pointed to the food. He shook his head no, and she picked it up and bit into it with a loud crunch.

 

* * *

 

Shalaree received several pieces of information about the wreck as Talen spoke to the argonians. She nodded her head in thanks to the captain and turned when she saw Talen slip a money pouch to the female argonian. She tried not to take it seriously when the woman threw her arms around him because Talen removed her arms almost immediately and took a step away from her.

Shalaree approached the group and gave a small smile to them, “I’ve got information. I’ll head out to the stables to restock for the horses if you want to stay and visit for a while longer.”

The woman blinked her yellow eyes at Shalaree as the human woman spoke in Jel. She frowned slightly as Talen-Ai shook his head and responded that he would go with her, he already had plenty of time to catch up and they were running out of daylight.

Talen and Shalaree turned away to start toward the steps leading up to the door back to town and the female called out for him to wait. He turned to look back and Shalaree took several more steps and paused.

“Why don’t you stay until morning? We can fix you an argonian dinner, talk about Black Marsh and share more stories of our people while that woman goes to take care of the stable work. It will be like when you stayed with us the last time, and Renhaa-Jei misses you, don’t you want to spend more time with him? He is clan to you.”

Talen shook his head no, “I give you my thanks, but we must be going. Maybe another time we can stay for dinner, but the work for the Jarl is important and must be done while the weather holds. I’ll keep in touch with Renhaa. He is in good hands with everyone here.” He turned back and went up two more stairs before the woman called out again.

Shalaree raised an eyebrow and continued up the stairs.

“I am sorry, but we can’t stay.” He raised his hand and gave a wave before jogging to catch up to Shalaree. He leaned down to nuzzle her as they went up another stair then dropped an arm around her and gave her leather covered ass a pat and squeeze.

“Not a word,” he hissed. She shrugged and kept going.

* * *

 

Shalaree guided the wagon along the road North past several farmhouses. “The notice that Ambarys gave me said bandits had taken up robbing travelers and made camp around here. From the directions, it’s more to the South than the ship is. I think they took over that old farmhouse the real estate office had for sale.”

Talen grunted and slipped on his helm as she pulled the wagon to a stop when they passed Hollyfrost Farm. A flickering light came from inside the ramshackle building and they approached slowly. Talen stopped them and pointed to a piece of metal hidden in a bush outside the building. The bandits had placed bear traps along the outside.

He leaned in and whispered to be careful and at least now they knew why there were no guards outside. They eased around the outside and saw that the building no longer had a door, the bandits must have kicked it in or tore it down to use as firewood. Shalaree blinked and activated the Night Eye enchantment on her helm and slid up next to the opening; bypassing the creaky portion of the steps. A quick look inside and she eased back while holding up three fingers.

Talen pointed upward, and she blinked again and saw a flickering shadow above them that moved before the light went out. That made four total.

Shalaree slid her bow off her back and wiggled one of her hands as if she was casting a spell. Talen scratched along the side of his neck and his teeth flashed as he smiled and pointed to an area off to the side of the building in deeper shadows. They moved there, and he whispered to get ready. He unsheathed his sword as held up a hand that glowed red. She blinked, and he disappeared.

Shalaree nocked an arrow and crouched down. A minute later she heard a cry of shock and Talen reappeared in the same spot he had disappeared from. Seconds later two bandits ran out and were met by arrows from Shalaree and Talen.

They didn’t move until they were sure the fourth bandit would not come charging out. Instead, he or she waited for them to come inside.

“What the hell did you do?” Shalaree hissed at Talen as they cautiously circled around to the back of the building where they had noted a huge pile of rocks had fallen against the building.

“It was one of the new illusion spells. I went invisible until I stabbed a bandit in the back. The moment I did, I returned to the spot I cast the spell from. It wouldn’t have worked if I had to open a door or something. The moment I did anything but dawdle the spell would trigger. Here, this will get us up to the roof and we might still surprise whoever is in there.”

Shalaree still shook her head as she gathered up the loot from the top floor of the building. Somehow the bandit leader slept through the fight. Talen drew one of the enchanted daggers he kept from a mage and slipped into the room to slit the throat of the snoring bandit in his bed. She heard Talen thumping around on the lower floor and looked through the gaping hole next to where she stood to see what he was up to.

She saw him wiggle the handle of a wardrobe then hit the door before wiggling the handle again. “What are you doing?”

“The damn door is stuck and there’s something in there,” he growled before he slammed his shoulder into it and caused the wardrobe to rock back and tip forward. Talen jumped out of the way as it crashed to the floor and the rotted wood splintered apart. He looked up at her, “And you were saying this place was only 7,000 Septims...”

She shrugged and told him she found a locked chest, sacks of food, a healing potion, a helmet, and a bow.

“Food, an iron shield, and a cuirass of scale mail. I think it’s even better than your elven one so we’ll hold onto it and take it to an enchanter after it’s fitted for you. I found a book, a common soul gem, and a green stamina potion down here along with the random crap from the bandits. Stand back. I’ll move the table over and climb back up there.”

Shalaree sat on a rickety chair reading the book he found while he worked on the chest. He tried the spell first and when that didn’t work he brought out his pouch of lockpicks.

“You want me to start dinner while you continue to fiddle with that lock?” she said after he snapped a third lockpick.

He growled at her and shot her a dirty look before slipping a fourth pick into the lock and wiggled it. Another thirty minutes went by and she climbed out onto the rocks and made her way down to the ground. After getting the horses and wagon moved, and making sure there were no traps anywhere near them, she unloaded the food sacks into the barrels, crates, sacks, and baskets. She kept several things out and carried them back inside and cooked.

She must have fallen asleep at some point because Talen’s shout of “ah-ha” startled her enough that the chair she had tipped back to lean against the wall wobbled and she fell.

He laughed as she righted her helmet and sat up. He flipped open the chest and handed her the items from inside of it. A large sack of Septims and gems, several potions, and an enchanted dagger were placed on the floor. Then he handed her another small pouch that held a softly glowing ring. She put it next to the sack of money and held out her hand for the horker tusk. A decoratively carved bone flute came next then another pouch she peeked in and saw a few more gems sparkling in the minimal light.

He handed her four empty soul gems, a set of leather boots, five ingots of a white metal, four rolls of parchment, and an apothecary sack with different ingredients in it, a handful of leather strips, an empty wine bottle, and finally a jade and emerald circlet wrapped in a scrap of blue silk.

“Holy crap... no wonder the lock on that chest was so good,” Shalaree said as they gathered it all back up and put it in the ethereal chest.

“That was the hardest lock I had ever tried. I broke eight picks trying to get it open. I’m just glad it ended up being worth the picks and time it took. Come on it’s late and we should get some sleep.”

Talen woke up the next morning and saw Shalaree updating the journal with their finds from the night before. He yawned and stretched before he stood to look over her shoulder. “There was almost a thousand Septims in that bag?”

She nodded and showed him the journal entries for the gems. “Fifteen different gems. I think several of them may be flawless. We’ll get another fifty Septims for the bounty.” She finished the entries and locked the items and journals away before she slid the panels back to hide the coffers. “We should get a bit of Septims from the armors too. Your breakfast is keeping warm by the fire. The horses are already taken care of so we can go and try to find that Barrow when you’re ready.” She handed him half of the smaller coins that were piled off to the side before she tucked her half into her money pouch. “This is what those bandits were carrying. It looked like the boss locked up the good stuff and paid them a pittance.”

* * *

 

The wagon came to a slow stop outside what must have been Yngol’s Barrow. Huge stone pillars flanked the path up to an area with carved statues in front of a large cave opening. They investigated the area outside the cave opening and Shalaree found a worn and partially tattered book titled _Yngol and the Sea-Ghosts._ She opened the weathered book to find the pages and writing within perfectly preserved and legible, she began to read it as Talen secured the wagon and cast the shelter over the horses.

_“Masser and Secunda passed over Ysgramor’s people as their fellowship landed in long-boats upon the rocky shores of Hsaarik Head on their journey from Atmora to Mereth. Boats littered the coast, but Ysgramor did not count his kin, Yngol among them._

_Ysgramor commanded the sea-ghosts to surrender his kin, and a great gale darkened the sky. The seas thrashed and churned, and a wrathful storm appeared. Ysgramor took up the oars and rowed into the storm alone._

_Upon the Sea, Ysgramor wrestled the sea-ghosts, and the storm carried him along the jagged coast. Two fortnights passed without relief until finally, the storm broke._ _Come the next dawn, Yngol’s long-boat was found in the icy surf, but the vengeful sea-ghosts had already taken Yngol and his clansmen._

_In his terrible grief, Ysgramor slew a dozen beasts and burned them in honor of his fallen kinsman. A barrow-hill was dug in the Atmoran tradition, and Yngol was laid to rest with rites and honors among his clansmen far below the rocky face of Hsaarik Head, the first Children of the Sky to perish in Tamriel."_

They stared at each then he handed her a piece of scrap leather and she carefully wrapped the book inside of it.

“Are you sure this is the barrow, Shalaree? This looks like an old ruin and not like that other barrow we were in.”

“I’m not one-hundred percent sure of anything, Talen. But I think someone put that magically preserved book on the altar for a reason.”

They moved down the icy corridor and a torch lit up on the wall as they turned the corner. A blue orb floated in front of them and they paused. When it did nothing they moved again. Talen hissed in her ear that the orb was following them.

Shalaree jerked as she saw a draugr lying on the floor. When it didn’t move Talen looked it over and found nothing worth taking so they moved on. They saw more sarcophagi along the walls but no draugr came from them. “I don’t like this Talen. There are no enemies in here. Where are the draugr that pop out of things and try to kill us?”

They entered the only passageway they could find and after a few turns it opened out into a room with several pillars in it. There was also a dead guy in front of a gate.

Talen approached the man and turned him over. His body had several small darts protruding from it and Talen looked at the walls on either side of the gate and saw small tubes lining them. “Poisoned darts. Tread carefully.” He crouched down and picked up a small journal that lay near the body and opened it then read it aloud.

  
“ _Notes on Yngol’s Barrow. What a peculiar place the barrow turned out to be. I hadn’t explored for very long before reaching this elaborate room and gate locking me from going further into the crypt._

  
_I confess it - I’m relieved! This place puts the fear of Oblivion into me. There are some carvings in this room. I’ll attempt to transcribe them for the College so I have something to show for this effort._

 

_All was so in Atmora_

_land of truth and our home_

_Man in his throne,_

_so should he be_

_Whale in the sea,_

_so should he be_

_Eagle in Sun’s Sky,_

_so should he be_

_Snake in the weed_

_so should he be_

_Sorrow! For the Sea-Ghosts took Yngol_

_Prize Brother of Sail from_ Atmora’s _Fleet_

_And none on land_

_nor sky, nor sea_

_would ever again_

_be as should be_

  
_Fascinating, these ancient Nords. I wonder what other secrets are hidden here? Surely there can’t be harm in trying to go a little further, and there is a lever here which must open the gate beyond."_

“Read it again, Talen,” Shalaree said, and he turned toward her to see her standing in front of an engraved pillar. As he read it she turned the pillars.

“Okay, I think this is right. Man sits on a throne, a whale swims in the ocean, snakes are in weeds, and an eagle flies the skies.” She took several steps back from the area of the pillars and Talen reached for the lever and pulled. Several more orbs floated near them and the gate opened.

They stopped to check the large urns just past the gate before moving further into the catacombs. The passageway turned into an icy tunnel again as it approached an open room. In the center of the room was a stream with a natural stone bridge formed over it. Talen searched the room on the left side and Shalaree took the right. The only thing found was a chest under the bridge with a small burial urn sitting beside it. A quiver of arrows and a handful of small ancient coins were added to their packs before they returned to the bridge and walked across it to stand in front of an iron door.

Talen reached for the doors and pushed them open, a set of stone steps led downward. A brazier behind a gate sat at the foot of the steps. Talen gathered the hanging moss from the doors of the gate while Shalaree checked the urn next to it. They followed the passage until it came to yet another iron door. When they opened the door, another, wider passage lay behind it. Talen stopped to unlock another gate when he saw a chest behind it while Shalaree kept watch down a different passage. She heard a soft click and turned to see him lowering his glowing hand before he knelt to open the chest.

She heard the hushed words of a spell and the ethereal chest popped into her view and she watched as he placed a sword, boots, and pulled a few small pouches out and filled them with hanging moss before dropping them back into the chest and banishing it. The other passageway led to a small room with a dozen snowberry bushes growing in the middle of the room. The glowing greatsword that floated above the shrubs caught and held their attention for several minutes. “This is so not good,” Shalaree muttered before Talen moved cautiously toward the shrubs and harvested them. Shalaree kept an eye on the sword. Once the last sprig of berries disappeared into his apothecary pouch Talen told Shalaree to use her staff and bring down the sword.

“You’ve got to be joking. What if it’s a trap?”

He motioned her with his hand and she sighed as she drew out the telekinesis staff and pointed it at the large sword. It slowly drifted toward her and Talen gripped it in his hands and felt the tingle of strong magic. The passage continued, and a doorway was clearly visible at the end of it. Talen just missed being speared by a spiked wall that dropped from the ceiling and blocked the entire doorway with spikes.

“Now what?” Shalaree asked and Talen removed his helmet long enough to wipe the cobwebs from his face before putting it back on.

“We move around the spikes. Slowly. It’s the only way. I don’t know any magic spells to get rid of this trap and the spikes are too tall to try to climb over.” They removed their packs and pouches, their weapons, and cloaks. Talen put everything in the chest then turned sideways and inched his way between the spikes. Once they were past the area Talen retrieved their gear and Shalaree spread healing salve on a few cuts they received on their faces and necks before they started down the stairs into a partially destroyed room. Inside the room they found several upright sarcophagi, a dead draugr next to an overturned chest they looted, and a desiccated corpse that held a lockpick.

Shalaree turned and saw a passage just as several more of the strange orbs gathered and joined the others to follow them. The passageway ended in front of another puzzle door. When Shalaree and Talen moved closer to examine the door, the orbs surrounded them and became more animated. The orbs swirled around them then moved to the door then back to Shalaree who held the coral claw in her hand.

“I honestly don’t like this one bit, Talen. I have a horrible feeling that whatever is behind that door is powerful,” she said. Talen nodded in agreement as he pulled the bow from his back and switched the remaining steel arrows in his quiver for the dozen orcish ones he had left.

Together they arranged the puzzle into the correct order and Talen took several steps back. When he told her he was ready she inserted the claw and turned it. As soon as the door lowered she pulled the claw out, dropped it in her pouch, and unhooked her flame and lightning bolt staffs from the straps on her back.

When the door lowered to the floor the eleven orbs swarmed into the room beyond and circled around an object in the middle of the room. Neither one could detect any other movement in the room.

They took a cautious step past the doorway and into the room. The moment they did, the door raised behind them, and something dark and transparent rose from the object that sat in the middle of the room.

“Oh shit,” Talen grunted and shot arrows at the shade that came for them. Shalaree ran to the side while casting the lightning bolts at the dark shadow.

“Fus,” a raspy voice shouted and Talen slammed backward into the door from the force of the dragon shout.

“Talen!” Shalaree yelled and drew the shade’s attention. She raised both staffs and let loose with both spells as she backed away from the shade, leading it further away from where Talen struggled to stand up.

Talen wavered slightly then shook his head and held out a hand. A white ball of light shot out of his hand and flew toward the shade; it exploded when it came in contact with the undead creature. Several more spells shot out and hit the shade causing it to stagger.

A hissing rattle of “Zun” came from the shade, and Shalaree felt a tug at one staff. She gripped it tighter and shot another flame bolt at the shade. She saw Talen drink a potion then hold out his right hand where a ray of light shot forth and connected to the dark shade. Talen kept the light on the creature until, with a moan, it collapsed to the floor.

After several minutes and a healing spell cast on himself they split up to search the room. Talen knelt down, and they placed their findings on a piece of leather before he separated them. Coins in one pile, loose gems in another. A gold necklace was joined by a ruby and silver ring. Shalaree stacked the two books she found together and slid the staff and bow over toward him so he could look at them in the light of their combined lanterns. The odd pieces of armor he looked at last before placing everything into pouches or directly into the ethereal chest.

“Is that everything?” he asked, and she chewed her bottom lip.

“Not exactly, there’s one more thing, but I wasn’t sure if it was a trap or not.”

Talen followed her to where a skeleton sat on a throne. The orbs had circled this stone throne, and this was where that shade had risen from. She pointed to the helm on the skull. He checked the throne, the floor, and carefully moved bits of the skeleton looking for traps then flexed his fingers and slowly lifted the helm from the skull.

He frowned as it looked like a regular steel helmet except for the inordinately long horns attached to it. Then he felt the strong tingle and warmth coming from it. He looked over at Shalaree then back at the helm. “I’m not sure, but I think this may be Yngol’s helm. The way the skeleton sits on the throne, and the shade, and orbs make me think it’s a possibility. If it is his helm, it could be worth quite a bit of gold, or we could keep it as an artifact.”

Shalaree told him they’d keep it when they felt a shudder run through the floor and a section of the wall lowered revealing a rickety looking staircase going upward. Talen dropped the helm into his pack as they walked toward it.

When they reached the top, they found a barred door and with a grunt he lifted the thick wooden beam from the metal brackets and dropped it to the side. Both of them gasped when a blast of cold air chilled them to the bone as they pushed open the door.

“Where the hell are we and where is our wagon?” Shalaree asked as she looked over the expanse of water and the much closer view of the shipwreck in front of her.

Talen turned around and told her they were far to the North of where they entered the barrow. If they’d hurry it would take them two hours to run back. Shalaree groaned and followed him down off the rock they stood on and across the deep snow.


	43. Chapter 43

* * *

 

The next morning they started toward the shipwreck and left the wagon in a small grove of trees. The bubble would protect the horses and Shalaree checked the poison trap before they made their way around to the west side of the mountain range where the ship had wrecked. Talen hissed and pointed at two bear traps lying partially hidden in the snow and at the two bandits that stood guard.

“What can you see, Shalaree?” Talen asked and she removed her helm and focused on the area.

“Two guards we knew about, broken pieces of the ship set up to use as ramps back and forth to make the crossing to both halves of the ship easier. A small fire and several moving shadows. Six bandits.” She blinked as her cybernetic eyes readjusted to close vision. “I guess being part cybernetic comes in handy here.”

Talen laid a hand on her shoulder as she put her helmet back on.

There were eight bandits and not the six she originally thought.

They found two struggling to unwrap themselves from the bedroll they apparently had been sharing when Talen and Shalaree had burst through the partially closed doorway.

Shalaree piled their loot up as Talen fiddled with a locked chest and put the last pair of scaled bracers into a different pile to have reworked to fit her when she heard the creak of the lid of the wooden chest open.

“This must have been their main stashing chest Shalaree. The unlocked one we found in the bandit leader’s room wasn’t it. Come look at what we found,” Talen said and leaned back as Shalaree peeked over his shoulder. She saw several small coin pouches, the hilt of a bladed weapon and several pieces of armor. As he lifted those out several more pouches lay in the bottom of the chest. He picked one up and spilled rough, rocks into his hand of various sizes that held the dull gleam of gems. “We need to take these to a gem crafter to have cut and polished to find out what they are. I guess the shop in Solitude the woman from Winterhold mentioned.”

Shalaree reached into the chest and pulled out a small leather packet that was tied shut with a leather lace. She opened the packet up and withdrew a small stack of papers and grinned. “Well, well. Someone had been rather naughty.” She handed the stack of parchment to Talen who flipped through them.

“Banknotes. There’s what... ten maybe twelve of these. That’s about 2,000 Septims after the exchange fee,” he said as he stood up and handed them back to her.“That’s if we exchange them and not just save them to use as is. We use the Septims to pay for everything and hold onto these. Maybe as we get closer to Solitude we’ll find more.”

“Well, I saw an exchange rate posted at the bank in Windhelm. They accept the Merchant Guild and Banknotes here too, there was also one called the East Empire Traders Note. I’m thinking we haven’t found those notes before because where we’ve been is all heavily Nord influenced. These notes and the others are Cyrodiil based; they’re Empire currency.”

“And with the civil war, a nord having these notes would be unusual. The East Empire Trading Company has an office and warehouse on the Windhelm docks. I made deliveries and pickups from there so that could explain why these are here.”

Talen nodded, “I suppose so. One of those Stormcloaks or their supporters would have cashed them in quickly, in case having them would be seen as showing support for the Empire. They might have pickpocketed or stolen them from one of the newly arrived travelers they robbed.”

Shalaree tied the leather lace around the packet again before tucking it into her pack, they dropped the rest of the items into the ethereal chest or into their packs before they left the ship, once more without finding the Helm of Winterhold.  

Another week of traveling passed as they mapped out the interior of the area between Windhelm and Winterhold. They found numerous ore deposits ranging from iron to the rare moonstone and gold ores. Talen finished the rest of the novice level spells. It was on the eighth day of travel when they ran across a ruin and pulled to a stop.

The area around the ruin was devoid of everything but a few blocks of stone and snow. “I wonder what this place is?” Shalaree asked as Talen set up the bubble shelter and they led the horses inside.

“I don’t know, but it isn’t on my map or on the original copy we received from the steward. It looks like the Collapse may have uncovered it.”

After making sure the horses were comfortable and safe they exited the bubble and scouted around. The first thing they found was a ruined section of wall. Made of the same rough-hewn stone and waist high. Shalaree reached out and ran a gauntlet covered hand over the top. “Talen, this is a double thick section of rock. Same as what they use on those forts along their battlements. Why would anyone go to such measures for a waist-high wall that’s easily jumped over?”

Talen brushed some of the built-up snow away from the ground and saw the stones extended downward. “Maybe because it is a battlement, or what’s left of one. Look,” he said as he pointed to the half-buried stonework.

What they found next solidified Talen assessment of the wall being a battlement. A large square area built of thick stone with narrow slits. “Archer’s tower. This is definitely a fort of some kind.”

As they moved closer to the cliff overlooking the Sea of Ghosts they found a dome of smoothed, tight-fitting stones. As they peered down into the hole they saw a rickety wooden staircase curved along the dome leading down to the snow-covered floor and a rather large metal door. Nothing they tried would open the door. They finally gave up after an hour and climbed the rickety staircase again.

Since they had already set up the shelter to prepare for a dungeon delve instead of a locked door, Talen showed her the rest of the spells he learned that was not combat related. He pulled her into the shelter and cast the spell to conjure the bed, then he grinned and moved her over to the side.

“Okay there are three for inside and the rest for outside the shelter,” he said and moved over next to the enchanting table where the red orb glowed and swirls of fog moved around inside it. He raised his hands and began a low chant, a soft purple glow emanated from them and as Shalaree watched a table with a full alchemy set up appeared. She waited until he stepped back and she went to look at the setup. It was almost an exact copy of the wagon’s table except this one was round, had light purple lines running in a star pattern and strange symbols etched in a circle pattern around the star. The pieces of equipment were all made of a higher quality than what she had in the wagon and turned to Talen with a grin of her own.

“This is great, I won’t have to buy better equipment now. We’ll have the one in the wagon for everyday use, the one that comes with this shelter, and this one when we’re in the dungeons and need to make more potions. It works outside the bubble right?”

He nodded a firm yes to her question and smiled back at her.

“Okay, what’s the other one?” she asked and watched as he moved the cushions and rugs on the floor from the center of the bubble and made sure the area was clear.

“Here we go,” he said and began his chant. His hands glowed purple then orange and a duplicate of their normal cooking campfire set up appeared in the middle of the floor; complete with a black cooking pot, a roasting spit large enough for several hares or a small boar, a shiny copper water kettle with a painted wooden handle, and a set of glazed clay teacups with a matching pattern painted on them.

“Now this is sweet. This whole thing is everything we need, but won’t we suffocate with the smoke and everything?”

Talen raised one thick eye ridge plate and snapped his fingers. A smokeless blaze erupted from the center of the campfire. There was no wood or noxious fumes, no scent of wood smoke, just heat. “No more having to stand out in a blizzard or pouring down rain to keep the fire going and cook. We can use this set up to do it with. From what the notes read since it doesn’t use fire but magic as its cooking flame the flavors of the food differ slightly and may take getting used to or spicing the food differently.”

Shalaree shook her head with a grin on her face as she held out her hands. “I don’t care, we’ll figure out something. Just as long as it doesn’t get too hot in here and end up roasting us and the rabbits.”

Talen shook his head. “The fire has been roaring for several minutes now, do you feel too hot?”

She thought about it then shook her head, “No, I feel the same now as I did when we entered the shelter.”

He banished both the alchemy table and the cooking fire. “One last thing to show you in here then we can go outside and I show you the last of the conjuration spells.”

He began a different chant of low hums, clicks, and hisses then a different enchantment table appeared. This one didn’t have the glowing red orb, but one of blue with white swirls. No large, red, eerie looking candles either. Several crystals were lined up along a small shelf attached to the table. Shalaree went to pick them up but they didn’t move.

“Just for decoration most likely, there are no notes on it, but I doubt the caster could afford to supply large soul gems for each person who casts the spell.” After she finished looking over this table he banished it then led her outside.He held up a hand in a be quiet gesture then took several steps away from her. His hands and arms moved in a more complicated pattern and glowed with the colors she now knew represented a conjuration spell then gasped as a swirling purple mist appeared in front of Talen. Slowly the mist changed and flowed as he kept up his chant. When he said the last word his breath released in a sigh and held up his hand to horse made of purple mist that now stood in front of him.

“An ethereal horse called from the same plane of the etherium that our chest and the other items I conjure comes from. If the spell’s author is correct he only stays for a limited time on this plane before returning to his own but will come every time I summon him. This means we don’t have to worry about taking our horses. If we know we won’t be using the wagon they can stay in a nice, warm stable. If we have already erected the shelter for the horses and for some reason are away from them and need it for ourselves... well, they would be left in the cold and danger. Now we don’t have to worry about them. He doesn’t need food or water, can carry us both with no issues, and can run faster than a living horse.”

Shalaree let out a hum and patted the horse feeling the cool mist under her hand instead of the warm horseflesh she had grown used to. “I’m sure the spell will come in handy.”

He gave the horse one last pat then banished it. His head tipped to the side as he looked at her.

“I prefer our real horses. I like the warmth of them and the way their muscles twitch and move as I brush them out. They feel... alive.” She shrugged after she spoke and turned from him to walk over to where their horses were busily eating the hay they put out for them. One of them softly nickered in greeting as she patted him.

 

* * *

 

   
Two days later they arrived back at Winterhold. While Shalaree went to update the Jarl’s map, Talen gathered up several crates worth of merchandise to sell. He called out to the stable hand he needed to borrow the handcart that usually held a load of hay then wheeled it around the side and loaded the wooden crates and boxes into it.

He pushed the cart up the wooden walkway toward Birna’s Oddments and stopped outside her door. He poked his head inside and made sure she wasn’t with another customer and let her know he had several crates to bring in.

She cleared the area in front of the counter as he carried in the first one. He placed the last crate on top of the counter and leaned on it. “Shalaree is over at the Jarl’s and she hopes we can get our business done pretty fast before he asks something, even more, time-consuming and near impossible to pull off.”

Talen slid a sheet of parchment across the counter to Birna, “Here is a listing of everything in the crates.”

She read over it and noted several items on a separate piece of paper. “Here, these are what I’m willing to buy at the prices I’ve listed next to each one.”

Talen looked it over and neither of the women noticed the slight hand movements he made with his right hand he held between his body and the counter.

Birna yawned and rubbed her eyes, “Oh excuse me, feeling sleepy suddenly.”

Talen looked up at her and placed the paper back on the counter. Unlike his usual voice, that held a note of gravel and underlying hisses, it came out smooth and pleasant to Birna’s ear. “Are you sure this is all you can buy from us? Our goods are all in fine shape, and weren’t easy to come by.”

She yawned again and blinked, “Oh, what was I thinking? Of course, I’ll buy more from you. The goods you and Stars sell to me always resell quickly and at a good price.”

Talen grinned at her and placed the items on the table. What she couldn’t buy or resisted buying he slid into one of the empty crates and didn’t push his luck with recasting the Silver Tongue spell on her. At least he knew as long as he cast that spell and the shopkeeper wasn’t resistant to magic they could make more Septims by getting better prices for their goods. He wanted to go to Windhelm and use it on every single one of those shopkeepers that tried to give him raw deals. First, he needed to become more powerful in that spell school though so it had not only a better chance of succeeding but a better chance of wringing every last Septim he could from the bastards.

Talen continued to put the remaining items back into the empty crate when Shalaree opened the door and stepped in quickly. The temperature had begun to rapidly drop while they were taking care of their business and now it looked like it was about to snow again. She handed him a small sack of coins from the bounty and the new notice to put into his journal when she noticed a fairly large money pouch on the table along with a sales receipt.

Talen quickly picked up the money pouch and stuffed the receipt inside. “Thanks, Birna,” he said and took Shalaree by the arm to guide her out of the door before she could say anything. He put the full crate of unsold goods back into the handcart before rapidly moving away from the store. Shalaree followed him, an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, “Well?”Talen went to open his mouth to say, “Well what?” when she hissed that he better not tell her any lies or try to wiggle out of whatever he did.

His mouth snapped closed and he sighed as he put the items into one of the sell chests and stacked the empty crates into a corner of the wagon. “It’s called Silver Tongue. It’s cast against merchants or those that you need to barter with or talk your way around something. It makes them susceptible to buying more at a higher price and selling at a lower cost than they normally would.”

“And you used it on Birna, knowing full well she struggles as it is with few customers and dealing with that drunk of a brother of hers.”

“I had to test it. And I didn’t push when she became resistant. Since we also have to buy supplies before we leave she’ll make most of it back.”

“You damn well know it. No more using that spell on her. Save it for those bastards in Windhelm.”


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accompanying Mod list updated to reflect homes listed in this chapter. We will be back to adventuring in the next chapter.

* * *

 

 

Two days later the creaking of their wagon was the only sound heard in the predawn hours as they began their long trip toward Dawnstar. They would need to go South until they found the mountain path leading West before turning back to the North.

  
Two hours later the horses strained to move the wagon up the steep incline. Both of them jumped from the wagon and took hold of the horse’s harnesses to guide them and relieve some of the weight being pulled.

  
They made it to the peak of the mountain path by mid-morning and set camp. The horses were lathered and desperately needed to rest. Shalaree sighed as she placed a small, wooden half barrel on the ground in front of them and filled it full of hay.

  
“What’s wrong, Shalaree?” Talen asked as he carefully wiped down Vapor and brushed him out before covering him with a horse blanket and letting him eat.

  
“Wasted time. The weight of the wagon going through this snow is hard on the horses. When we stick to the roads or through the small snows they don’t have any problems. I just wish we knew of a way to make it easier on them.”

  
“We just have to deal with moving slower. Once we’re down off this mountain path things should be better. On the way back we won’t need to take this path, we’ll use the same road the travel carriages do.”

  
She nodded and patted Thunder’s flank as the horse tiredly moved over to join Vapor in eating a mouthful of fragrant hay.

  
Talen finished writing his assessment of the novice level spells and put the journal in his storage crate before removing the Apprentice level spell tomes from the chest. After sorting them by school he picked up a different journal and one of the destruction tomes then began to jot notes down before settling in to study.

  
He continued to study the tome through dinner. When Shalaree removed her shoes and slid between the sheets on the conjured bed he closed the spell tome and blew out the candle in his lantern.

  
Shalaree laid in the semi-darkness as she listened to Talen ready himself for bed. He slid between the sheets, said a gentle goodnight, and rolled to his side facing away from her so that his tail separated them. She laid there a while longer wondering about his abrupt change in behavior then closed her eyes, they wanted to be on the road just as dawn lit the horizon.

  
They reached Dawnstar three days later. The horse's heads hung low and their steps tired as they pulled the wagon toward the far end of town where the Inn and Stableyard sat.

  
Shalaree entered the Inn and spoke with the Innkeeper about stable rental for several days. When she came back out Talen had their wagon backed up into a spot next to the last horse stall and the horses were drinking from a bucket of water.

  
“I rented the stall for three days. Hay and water included. They only had one room available and it has a double bed, so we’ll need to share. Unless you’re planning on staying inside the wagon again.”

  
Talen slowed down his brushing of Thunder and glanced at Shalaree. “I wasn’t planning on it. I didn’t realize you missed my attention so much.”

  
Shalaree glared, “It’s not that. I just don’t like the sudden shifts in mood or actions you have.”

  
“I see. I just needed to work some things out in my head and wanted some time alone to concentrate on learning from those tomes. The schools of magic that were unfamiliar to me were difficult. The last thing I wanted was for you to see how often I failed at performing them.”

  
Shalaree stared at him for a moment not believing a word he said before she went back to tending to Vapor. When they finished their chores the grateful horses settled in the dry stable and began to eat the fresh hay put out for them.

  
There wasn’t much to do in the town over the next three days. Shalaree would tend the horses then walk around the beach area or watch the boats come in to dock. She talked to many of the sailors and they gave her descriptions of the coastline they could see as they come from Solitude or Winterhold. She made notes and showed them to Talen when she returned to the Inn.

  
Talen used the three days to study as many spells as he could. When he stacked the Apprentice level spell tomes he found there were 28 of them, only five of which he could practice outside of combat.

  
Shalaree would often find him on the beach doing some strange thing. The first time she found him, he was staring at a spot on the ground and grimacing while holding his breath. He grunted and sighed then did it again, his hands moving only slightly. The third time he tried the spell a wall of sand, dirt, and rock sprung up in front of him. He smiled slightly then tried it again, finally, he seemed satisfied when a six-foot solid stone wall rose from the ground as soon as he cast the spell.

  
“Talen! What the hell are you doing up on that roof?” Shalaree yelled one morning when she went looking for him and found him on top of the Jarl’s Longhouse.

  
“This is the tallest building here and I need to try out this spell.”

  
“You’re going to break a leg if you’re thinking about jumping off of that. You don’t have your armor on.”

  
He huffed at her and put his hands on his hips, “That’s the whole point of being up here, Shalaree. This spell is supposed to mitigate most fall damage. At worst I may sprain an ankle and that’s easily fixed. Now stand back.”

  
Shalaree flung up her hands and moved back several feet then started to rummage in her hip pouch for a healing potion. As soon as she looked up Talen spread his arms, said his incantation, and jumped.

  
Shalaree watched in open-mouthed awe as Talen slowly floated down to the ground.

  
“See. Nothing to worry about,” he said smugly and Shalaree slapped him on the shoulder.

  
The following morning they were going to leave to start mapping the area. The horses were well rested and they had restocked their water barrel, food, and firewood.

  
“Come down to the beach with me, Shalaree. There are a few spells I would like to try and will need your help to do so.”

  
“Is this like the adventurer’s clothing one?” she smirked and he growled.

  
“I hope not because I don’t want to run around here naked,” he said and tugged on her hand to get her to move quicker.

  
Once on the frozen beach, Talen picked a spot and told her to stand there and draw her staff. She raised an eyebrow then held her telekinesis staff in her hand. Talen backed up several steps and drew his sword.

  
“Okay, if this works our weapons will switch.”

  
“Switch? What good would that do in a fight? You’re still giving them a weapon.”

  
“Can you imagine the look on a mage’s face if he no longer has his staff to cast fireballs at us but instead held a bow? Something he may not know how to use? Or a sword when he’s never held one before?”

  
“Or swapping out an iron sword with your glass one and giving them an advantage,” she said and he scowled at her.

  
She waited and a moment later she held the green sword in her hand and he had her staff in his. He smirked then cast the spell again; switching the weapons back.

  
“This next one we’re going to try will let me see through my target’s eyes. I can’t control anything about them, but whatever they see I will too. Here’s the gear journal, after I cast the spell randomly open to a page and look at it. I should see what you do and after the spell wears off I’ll tell you some of the items on the page. Tell me if they match up.”

  
Shalaree nodded then walked a bit further away from him and turned her back. She heard him say now and she flipped open the book.

  
They were on their way back to the town when he stopped her. “This last spell is a tricky one. It’s supposed to improve my sneaking ability but I’m not sure how to go about testing it outside of combat. I certainly don’t want people to think I’m a thief or trying to steal from them.”

  
Shalaree chewed her lip, “Hmm. Maybe we can set something up tonight. See if you can get past me.”

  
Talen thought about it for a few seconds then nodded his agreement, “That sounds like it might work. I picked up the directions to those two properties for sale also. I thought we could check those out tomorrow and restock everything before we set out to start mapping the area.”

  
They started walking again and Shalaree pulled out her small housing journal from her hip pouch to refresh her memory of the two properties.

  
Shalaree set the wooden plate on the rock then piled half an apple, a freshly baked sweetroll, and a piece of Talen’s favorite snowberry flavored taffy on it. She reached into a sack and brought out a single bottle of Black-Briar Mead and set it down beside the plate then whistled to signal she was ready.

  
Her eyes scanned the surrounding area as she walked; peering into every shadow, every spot she thought he could hide in.

  
Talen quickly cast the spell as he heard her moving closer, then took a single step, then paused, then took another. He held his breath as she passed less than two feet from where he hid in the shadow of a small boulder. Another step, then one more and a recast of the spell.

  
A few minutes later she arrived back to the rock to see him sitting cross-legged on it and eating the sweetroll. She crossed her arms and waited. He took a drink from the brown bottle and smiled.

  
“You passed by me close enough to reach out and touch you if I wanted too.”

  
She snorted and reached for the bottle.

 

* * *

 

The next morning they bundled up and began walking to the other side of the bay where the first home was located. They planned on looking at both available properties then heading out.

  
They stood looking at the exterior of the home for several minutes before beginning a walk around. There were two levels, both had exterior doors and a small staircase led up to the balcony on the second level. Overall the home looked rather small from the outside. There was no well, no outside amenities or facilities.

  
Talen grasped the handle of the second floor’s door and pushed. The door swung open and he paused for a moment before calling out to Shalaree. They took a few cautious steps inside the home as Talen lifted a hand to cast a light spell.

  
The upper floor was completely unfurnished, not even a torch or a bracket to even hold one. No fireplace to ward off the chill on this level and from the looks of it, the room would barely hold more than three or four pieces of furniture without feeling overcrowded.

  
The lower level wasn’t much better. The only difference was this level had a stone fireplace. A small, narrow set of wooden stairs connected the two levels and after a cursory glance around they left.

  
“How much?” Talen asked as they once more stood in front of the building.

  
“Ten thousand.”

  
Talen’s cheek muscle twitched before he rubbed the back of his head. “Let’s go see the other one.”

  
They followed the directions given to them by one of the guards down to the beach. Talen looked around because he didn’t see a home anywhere, just a weathered tent and a long-dead fire pit.

  
“This can’t be the right place. There’s nothing here,” he muttered and ran a hand through the feathers on his head.

  
Shalaree wandered down the beach several feet and leaned against a huge boulder as she looked out over the Sea of Ghosts. She frowned when she heard a slight clacking sound from her right. She glanced over thinking a mudcrab was going to jump out from the other side of the giant rock when she noticed the noise came from a piece of wood hanging from a metal peg buried in the stone.

  
She whistled to get Talen’s attention and he jogged over to her when she waved at him.

  
“Look at this,” she said and pointed to the worn piece of wood.

  
“Manor House for Sale. Inquire within. This sign points straight into the boulder. Someone must have moved it.” Talen let the signboard fall back against the rock where it began to clack in the breeze coming from the Sea.

  
“Talen, the sign has a chain that’s welded to a peg hammered right into the rock. Who would go through that kind of trouble to move a sign?”

  
“It’s pointing into a boulder, Shalaree.”

She threw up her arms and went to lean against the boulder again when she felt herself fall backward right through the boulder in the exact spot the sign pointed to.

  
“Shalaree!” Talen yelled as she completely disappeared into the rock.

  
“It’s a damn dark ass cave, Talen. Get your scaly butt in here and give me some light,” Shalaree yelled back as she picked herself up off the ground where she had landed seconds before.

  
Talen quickly readied a candlelight spell and as soon as he stepped through the illusionary wall he cast it throwing a purple glow on the rock walls.

  
“It looks like it continues straight in front of us,” Shalaree whispered. Talen brought out a torch from his pack and used a short burst of his flame spell to light it. The purple glow winked out and Shalaree gripped Talen’s free hand as they started down the tunnel.

  
They came to a dead end and Talen handed the torch to Shalaree then reached for the wall. He encountered solid stone and hissed. He took a step to the left and began to run his hand over the wall again trying to find the exit.

  
“This wasn’t a trap, was it? We’re not stuck in here?”

  
“I doubt it. But I have a feeling the mage that made this is a paranoid bastard. We may have to backtrack and test the walls as we go if he designed this damn thing like a maze. Did the listing say anything about this?”

Shalaree let go of Talen and reached into her pouch for the book. She opened it up and skimmed what she wrote about the Manor. “No. It said peaceful, idyllic setting. Private grounds. Secure location. Beautiful trees and waterfalls. Two-story home with a bathhouse. Inquire with owner.”

  
“Secure location. Well… I suppose a blasted illusionary entrance and cave maze falls into making it a secure location.”

  
The torch had almost burned out before they found the other illusionary wall and stepped through. Talen paused for a moment then took a breath. “I smell fresh air, but without the tang of salt from the Sea.”

  
“How can that be, the entrance to this place was on the beach.”

  
They moved further down the dark tunnel and just as the torch began to sputter to go out, Talen said he felt a breeze. He held a hand out and felt the air moving across the back of it. He put his hand up to the wall in front of him and it passed through it.

  
“This is it. Ready?”

  
Shalaree snorted and said she was, she gripped his hand firmer and they stepped through the wall together.

  
They both blinked at the blinding light. It took several minutes before their eyes adjusted. When they could see again they stared in astonishment at their surroundings.

  
Everything was white except for brilliant red splashes of color. The ground was white, the house in front of them was white, even the tree trunks were white. Only the leaves were red, while tufts of grass dotted the landscape of the same red color.

  
They moved across the wooden bridge in front of them toward the two-story home and Shalaree bent down to look at the stream flowing under the bridge.

  
“Talen, the water is red.”

  
He gripped her hand and they kept moving. They stopped near a large tree in the front yard and looked up to see paper lanterns strung along several of the lower branches. Under the tree, the fallen red leaves were piled around the base of the trunk and on the white painted wooden bench placed there. Talen reached out and picked up one of the leaves.

  
“It’s an oak leaf. Just red instead of green or brown as they die off.” Talen dropped the leaf and they moved toward one of the vast waterfalls off to the right. The water flowed rapidly and was as red as the leaves.

  
“What is this place?” Shalaree asked.

  
“This is my home. I bid you welcome,” a hissing voice came from behind them and they both whirled around in alarm.

  
A tall male figure wrapped head to foot in a black and red cloak stood there. “Do not be alarmed, I mean you no harm. You are safe here.”

  
Talen snarled and pulled Shalaree behind him as he stared into the blood red eyes of a vampire.

  
The figure held up one glove covered hand toward them, “Peace, good argonian. I speak the truth, you shall come to no harm within this sanctuary of mine.”

  
The figure gave a small bow, “I am Lucanus, and once again I bid you welcome.”

  
Shalaree moved to the side and looked at Talen then at the figure in front of them. “I’m Shepard, this is my husband. We’re responding to the home listing.”

  
“A pleasure, Shepard. Feel free to look around the rest of the property. Everything within the high mountain walls transfers to the new owner or owners. There is a fully furnished home, greenhouse, bathhouse, and storage cellar. If you have any questions just call my name, I shall hear you and come to answer.” He bowed again and turned to walk back toward the home.

  
Talen didn’t take his eyes off the vampire until he went inside the house. “I don’t like this one little bit, Shalaree.”

  
“I’m pretty creeped out too. But if he wanted to kill us why didn’t he just do it when we had no idea he was behind us?”

  
“I don’t know.”

  
Shalaree took a breath before she reached down to cup a handful of the water and smell it. “Well, it smells like fresh water, and not blood. It’s just red. Let’s look around. I don’t want to think what he may do if we are rude and just run for the exit.”

  
Talen huffed and shook his head before they started toward the back of the house. The greenhouse was two floors with the bottom floor consisting of ten planters lined up along the wall with various herbs and ingredients growing in them. The upper floor had two large planters and a large wooden alchemy workstation with labeled drawers and shelves. All neatly stocked with jars and small pouches. The built-in alchemy table was clean, neat, and in near perfect condition.

  
Their next stop was the white painted wooden building near a gazebo. When they opened the door they saw a large, water-filled stone basin in the middle of the room. Again the water was red and lightly steamed. A bronze colored shelving unit held multiple towels of blinding white, and a small woven basket containing soap chunks.

  
They looked at each other and both swallowed audibly as they moved toward the front door of the white painted home. Huge, clear glass-pane windows were on either side of the door. When they looked inside they saw a furnished room with thick carpets, red-cushioned chairs, gleaming silver decorations, and highly polished wood furniture.

  
Shalaree knocked on the door and it was opened almost immediately by Lucanus.

  
“I bid you enter my home freely. Know that you will come to no harm.”

  
Shalaree nodded then stepped over the threshold into the home.

  
“All the furnishings within the home remain. The only exceptions are specific pieces from my personal… sleeping area.”

  
Shalaree’s lips twitched as the image of Count Dracula’s red-lined coffin popped into her head.

  
They looked around the sitting room and Lucanus showed them the kitchen before leading them to the stairs up to an open area that held a large, plush looking bed and heavy wooden dresser. A small desk sat against the wall and a bookcase was tucked into a corner next to it.

  
“The storage cellar is accessed through the trap door in the kitchen or by the one hidden at the back of the house next to the large rock. It blends into the home and ground rather well so I use the rock as a reference point,” Lucanus said as he gestured to a couch for them to sit.

  
He slowly unwrapped the cloak and hung it on a peg near the door before he sat opposite them. Shalaree blinked at the ageless appearance of the rather pale man.

  
“Do either of you have any questions about the property?”

  
“Why did you hide the entrance with illusions?” Talen asked.

“Ah. Well, as you probably already know, not everyone takes to having a vampire living near them with aplomb. There are fanatics, vampire hunters, and other vampires who do not… share the same views of mortals as I do. Should you have come looking to cause harm to me or mine then you wouldn’t have found the wood placard nor the entrance. The illusions are a necessity for my protection.”

  
“Why is everything white? And why is the water red?” Shalaree asked.

  
The vampire crossed his legs and laid his folded hands on his thigh. He grinned and said, “just a bit of a joke I suppose. When I created this place many centuries ago I thought it would be funny. A pure white landscape with blood red splotches. Now, I think of it as beautiful, not a joke about the circumstances in which I exist. The water is not harmful to mortals or immortals. It is safe to drink and bathe in, and will not dye your clothing; if that is a worry for you.”

  
“Why would you sell this place?” she asked.

  
Lucanus frowned and softly sighed. “Times have become dangerous. The Dawnguard have begun hunting those of my kind again, and they do not care if a vampire is civilized or a menace. A vampire is a vampire, and to them, the only good vampire is a destroyed one.”

  
The front door swung open and Talen and Shalaree’s gazed flew to see who entered.

  
A young blonde hair girl charged through the door carrying a large woven basket in her hands. “Grandfather, I’m back. The baker and butcher had our orders ready.” The girl came to a halt when she spotted the two sitting on the couch.

  
“Ingrid, this is Shepard and her husband. They came to view the property. This is my granddaughter Ingrid.”

  
Shepard waved and the girl waved back before hurrying into the kitchen.

  
When she was out of earshot Lucanus turned back to them, “She is the reason we need to leave the area. She is actually my great-great-great-granddaughter. Before the vampires forced this on me I had a beautiful wife, a baby daughter, and a small farm. They took it all from me in a flash of teeth and an eternity of pain. If it wasn’t for the bond between my wife and me, my views may have changed and I may have ended up like those vampires menacing the countryside. Instead, I retained who I fundamentally was and raised our daughter and her children, and so forth down the through the years. The hunters find us, or other mortals figure out what I am, and inevitably destroy everything I care about in their zealotry. I’ve lost my family over and over again. Ingrid is the only living member of my family left. I no longer feel I can keep her safe in Skyrim. She cannot be forced to remain within these walls. So we are selling and going elsewhere to begin again.”

  
Talen brushed a thumb over Shalaree’s and he glanced over at her. “How much do you want for it?”

Lucanus shifted slightly. “It isn’t actual Septims I’m asking for. I’m wanting someone willing to care for the property and keep our secret. As I said, this place is a sanctuary and if we should need to flee again we would need a safe harbor. We would need to return here until it is safe to leave again. Since I’ve posted the listing you’ve been the third visitor to find their way past the illusions. You’ve been the only ones to have stayed and not run screaming for the exit.”

Talen shifted on the red couch and rubbed the back of his head. “We would need time to discuss it. We were looking for a home to start a family in. I’m not sure having a vampire, no matter how polite and civilized, popping in at any given time with no warning is something we’re comfortable with.”

  
Lucanus tipped his head acknowledging Talen’s worries. “Of course, it is quite understandable. Please know that as long as the property is not “sold”, and as long as you are not intent on causing harm then the entrance can be accessed by you, should you choose to accept the conditions.”

  
Talen nodded and they stood up.

  
“I have one more question,” Shalaree said.

  
Lucanus waited a moment then Shalaree blurted out, “How can you be out in the sun?”

  
Lucanus chuckled, “that my dear is rather simple. I have never fed on or killed a living being. I subsist on fresh animal blood provided by the local butcher. The sun is a bit uncomfortable for me, hence why I wear the cloak, but I do not fear the sun nor do I suffer from weakness brought on by the daylight. I keep a mortal’s normal daily schedule so I can be with Ingrid and appear mortal. Though some of the townsfolk know that I am not, they do not fear me, and I have provided help many times when they needed it. They, in turn, keep the knowledge of me to themselves.”

  
“So the guard that told us where to find this place? He knows?”

  
Lucanus shrugged, “Possibly. He may also have been directing you to what he thought was the home. The tent outside is part of the illusion on this property. Those that are hunting or would immediately perceive me as a threat and attack will see the tent outside as a seaside shack with a for sale sign on it.”

  
Talen snorted, “That explains the guard’s parting words of good luck keeping the place standing through winter.”

  
A few hours later the wagon creaked as it moved over another section of the beach as Talen made adjustments to the shoreline on the map.

  
“So what do you think?”

  
He looked over at her, “About what?”

  
“The home the vampire has for sale,” Shalaree said as she pulled back gently on the reins.

  
“I’m not comfortable taking the offer. He seemed like he wasn’t a danger, but knowing a hunter could be out looking for him, and maybe stumble on the knowledge that we know about him could bring those bastards down on us as well. Not to mention other vampires if they decide to go after him for being different.”

  
“It was a beautiful house, though.”

  
He sighed and nodded, “Yes it was, it was everything we could have wanted. If the circumstances were different than I would have offered the entire amount we have set aside.”

  
Shalaree bent forward and looked out over the Sea as Talen made a few new lines along the map. “We’ll keep his secret though. If anyone asks all we saw was a run-down fishing shack.”

  
She didn’t need to look at him to know he agreed with her.


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking a brief Hiatus from this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is on Hiatus at the moment. I've got chunks of this story written out but other stories have pretty much taken up most of my writing time. Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 

 

Three days later Shalaree and Talen stared out at a large land mass in the Sea of Ghosts and sighed.

  
“Do we really have to go out there, Talen?”

  
“Yes, if we are to keep to the terms of the Jarl’s request to search all the sunken wrecks along the coast.”

  
Shalaree grumbled then headed back to their wagon to remove her armor and pack it into the ethereal chest.

  
Talen secured the wagon, made sure the campfire would remain burning for several hours to keep the horses warmer in the sailcloth tent, then packed his own armor and weapons into the trunk.

  
Shalaree drank one of the resist cold potions she made that morning and they dove into the sea.

  
The resist potion wore off and Shalaree began feeling the bone-numbing cold of the water. She began to falter. Talen grabbed her arm and began moving his tail frantically to propel them through the water at a rapid speed.

  
He pulled them both up on the shore of the closest piece of stable land and quickly cast the spell for the shelter. Once it appeared he laid Shalaree in the center of it and stripped off her wet and partially frozen clothing. He called for the ethereal chest, pulled out several towels and blankets then began rubbing her dry. He stopped long enough to strip the wet clothes off his own body before going back to rubbing warmth into her. The blue tinge around her lips worried him, as did the amount of time it took for her to respond to him calling her name.

  
When she let out a groan he summoned the bed, picked her up, and tucked her into the now warm sheets then pulled the blanket up to her chin.

  
He conjured their cooking fire and began making a broth, and tea for her. She groaned again and he moved over to the bed.

  
“Wha ‘appen?”

  
“The potion gave out and you started to freeze. I got us to the closest land and put up the shelter. I’m making some soup and tea for us now. I’ll need to check you again for frostbite.”

  
“Why you naked?” she slurred as her eyes opened and drifted shut again.

  
“Because I’m trying to remind you of how much a temptation I am for you. Well, that and I was too busy trying to warm you up to put clothes back on. You’re naked too by the way. Rest until it’s done. I wish we could stay here but we can’t leave the horses alone for too long.”

  
Shalaree hissed and groaned as she sat up. The blanket fell and pooled on her lap. Talen groaned and hurried from the bed to finish making the warm liquids for her.

  
An hour later she dressed in a set of dry leathers and told him she was fine. She drank another potion and they once more dove into the water. This time he kept an arm about her and propelled them both through the water using his thick, muscular tail.

  
When they surfaced he once again erected the purple bubble and they hurried to change and slowly warm up.

  
“Ta...Talen, did you see… the fire?” she said as her teeth chattered.

  
“I did. We aren’t alone here. It looks like someone set up camp right next to the wreck.”

  
“Scavengers.”

  
He nodded. “While you continue to warm up I’ll go scout.” He nuzzled her before putting his helmet on and adjusting his bow.

  
Talen returned a half-hour later. “Shalaree, there’s an argonian who set up camp near the wreckage. Looks like he’s been looting the stuff from the boat for a while now. There’s also a ruin at the top of this rock.”

  
“For once I don’t give a shit about a ruin. I just want to search that stupid wreck, fix the map, and get back across this blasted water so I can remain warm and dry for more than an hour.”

  
Talen called out as they approached the camp. The other argonian said his name was Deekus and this was his claim.

  
Talen held up his hands, “We’re here on orders of the Jarl of Winterhold to search ship wreckage and update land maps. We’re only here to find a helm, anything else is yours. The helm is unremarkable, just a horned helm with a particular marking on it.”

  
Deekus stared at them. His eyes flicked toward a chest next to his lean-to and he shook his head, “Nope. No helm. Haven’t seen anything like that. Plenty of clams. Even found a gem. No helm.”

  
“What about that statue? Did it come off the ship?” Shalaree asked as she pointed to the gold statue of a half-nude woman holding something above her head.

  
“Nope. That’s mine. I carry it with me all the time; like to pray.”

  
“Uh-huh, I see. Well then, if there are no helms here then we’ll just make the map changes and be on our way.”

  
“Yes, good idea. Don’t touch anything. It’s mine.”

  
Shalaree smiled at him, “Is it alright if I warm myself by your fire while my partner works on the map.”

  
Deekus eyed her then nodded.

  
Shalaree’s eyes moved rapidly over what she could see of the campsite. The chest by the lean-too had two bear traps set up as a “security system”, the gold statue was almost two feet tall and she knew it had to have come from the ship as no one would carry around a statue of Dibella that large when she saw smaller ones for sale. A couple of barrels and a few crates were scattered about.

  
Anything he found of value must be jammed in the chest, she thought. And she was certain there was a helm inside of there. His glance pretty much gave him away.

  
“Alright, all done here. We just need the other side of this island mapped then we can go back to the mainland and move on,” Talen said and they waved at Deekus as they started around the other side of the island.

  
“Talen,” she hissed and he murmured to keep walking. A few minutes later he stopped and began making marks on the map again.

  
“Okay. He’s stopped following us,” Talen said.

“He’s got something in that chest he didn’t want us to know about.”

  
“Yes, I thought so too.”

  
“We have to look at what he’s got in there. If he’s got the helm we have to get it. Or fully search the wreck.”

  
Talen nodded and put away the map. “Yep. You know he’s not going to just let us walk back in and open it up.”

  
Shalaree sighed and nodded. “He’s going to fight. Whether it’s to keep us from getting the helm from the chest or to protect the junk he’s found.”

  
Talen didn’t say anything and he didn’t need to.

  
“Let’s do it tonight after he goes to sleep. The chest has two bear traps. One in the front and one in the back. Maybe if you can sneak in and open the chest quietly you can find the helm and get back.”

  
Talen thought about it. “The spell I have will only let me get in there unseen. As soon as I go to open the lid I’ll become visible and return to the spot where I cast it.”

  
He paced as he went through his mental listing of all the spells he learned. He stopped and scratched his head, then turned to her.

  
“I might just be able to pull it off. The spell I used to sneak past you. If I move slow enough I can get close to the chest and cast a different spell at Deekus. If it works, I can fling open the chest, grab the helm, and run back to where you are waiting. We will have to be quick though. The spell lasts for less than 30 seconds and he’s going to be pissed when it expires.”

“Alright. I’ve got several more of those resist potions. I’ll move them into the quick slot and we won’t stop until we’re across the water. I’ll just need a few seconds to pop the cork and drink it down as we move through the water.”

  
He nodded, nuzzled her, then waited until she moved behind the rock next to the sea.

  
Talen crept silently closer to the chest, making sure to come in at an angle away from the traps and the firelight. He paused only long enough to begin casting the spell. As soon as the transformation of Deekus from Argonian to seagull took place Talen flipped open the lid and reached into the box. He swatted an angry, pecking Deekus away from his head, grabbed the horned helm from inside the box, and took off running.

  
Shalaree heard Talen yell, “Go. Go. Go.” She drank down the already opened tube of liquid and dove into the water. She felt an arm go around her waist and force her to the surface. She fumbled for another tube, popped the cork, and drank it down. As soon as the last drop passed her lips they were cutting their way through the water as fast as Talen could manage.

  
“You… don’t… think… he’ll follow… us?” Shalaree managed through chattering teeth as she peeled off the soaking wet set of leathers as they stood in front of the magical cooking fire.

  
Talen shucked off his set of leather pants and hung them up on the fish drying rack nearby. He shook his head as he stirred the pot of reheating broth. “No, he won’t let his claim remain unattended. And the chest was stuffed full of things. I saw loose gems, a few other baubles, and a couple of weapons. He won’t take the chance of someone else stumbling across his stuff and taking it.”

  
He tossed her one of the last remaining dry towels as he picked up her leathers and hung them up next to his. She poured a cup of hot tea and added a spoonful of honey to the mixture before sipping it. She finally started to feel her toes again.

  
After they ate, Talen tossed on a pair of breeches and his shoes to go out to tend the horses. He threw several logs on their fire and a few pinches of dark fire powder before hurrying back inside their bubble shelter.

  
“It looks like more snow is coming in. Unless we wake to blizzard conditions it’s going to be a cold traveling day. I don’t want to push our luck with staying here for too long.”

  
Shalaree nodded and pushed the last cork into the small tube of white and blue liquid. “I wish these things would last longer than a minute.”

  
“They aren’t made to keep away the cold from the water or air. They’re meant to use against frost mages or cold spells.”

  
She grumbled and slipped the tube into her pouch. “How close are we to the salt mine?”

  
He shrugged. “Not far. I don’t think it’s on the beach though so we may need to backtrack to a road and take a look around.”

  
She scratched her head and growled. “I need a bath. You can’t conjure up a tub can you?”

  
He laughed and shook his head. “Nope. No spells for bathtub conjuration. Would be nice though.”

  
He came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist and drew her back against him. “Just think. A tub big enough for both of us, sitting here in the middle of our bubble. Steam rising from it as we sit in it and watch the sun set.”

  
He nuzzled her and whispered. “You lean back against me while my hands travel your body, and cup your breasts before sliding down your stomach. One finger stroking against this deliciously hot slit before delving inside. Your moans and gasps as I slide in and out until you can’t take it anymore and go over the edge.”

  
His finger stroked her several times. “Then you’d shift to your knees, take my rock-hard cock in your hand and stroke me before lowering yourself on my hard length. Your cries as I fill and stretch you echo inside the bubble. Mm, you’d ride me slow, teasing me, then as I stroked this little nub you’d speed up. Taking all of me over and over until I groan your name and explode inside you.”

  
“Talen? What the hell are you doing?” she gasped out as he stroked her several more times. She felt his hardness pressing into her backside through the linen breeches she wore.

  
“Getting us ready for bed,” he whispered.


End file.
